RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) – A man accused of gunning down a suspected car thief in Riverside — even though the victim wasn’t taking a vehicle that belonged to the shooter — must stand trial on first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled Friday.
Tony Javier Ortiz, 43, of Perris was arrested in 2024 following a Riverside Police Department investigation into the death of 35-year-old Alex Arzate of Riverside.
At the end of a preliminary hearing Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka found there was sufficient evidence to bound Ortiz over for trial on the murder count, along with sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations…