Crime & Safety
Murder Suspects Enter Plea in Court
Two men and a woman enters pleas in court to a murder charge in the death of a Cerritos man.
Two men and a woman pleaded not guilty Wednesday to a murder charge in the death of a Cerritos man whose body was discovered last month in a parking structure in Torrance.
Michael Frank Trujillo, 31, of Long Beach, Ernie Lee Ramos Jr., 33, of Carson, and Angelina Maria Garcia, 33, of Carson are charged in the Nov. 2 killing of Jose Frank Johnson.
A pipe was used in the commission of the crime, according to the criminal complaint.
Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Investigators believe that Johnson, 42, was killed in Carson and that his body was moved to Torrance, where it was discovered inside a vehicle Nov. 3 in a parking structure in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Hawthorne Boulevard.
Trujillo, Ramos and Garcia, who all have criminal records, were arrested Nov. 21 following a three-week investigation into the killing, which a Torrance police sergeant described to the Daily Breeze as a "revenge killing." Police would not elaborate on the circumstances.
Find out what's happening in Cerritos-Artesiawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The three -- who remain jailed -- are due back in Torrance Superior Court Jan. 23, when a date is scheduled to be set for a hearing to determine if there is enough evidence to require them to stand trial.
-- City News Service
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.