Retrial proceedings are set to commence on Wednesday for the murder trial of two individuals accused of brutally assaulting and eventually shooting a 36-year-old man from Hemet.
The accused are Alberto Franco, 27, from Hemet, and Christian Anselmo Gomez, 46, from Homeland. They are charged with the murder of Salvador Alvarez Cortez in 2020.
In addition to first-degree murder, assault resulting in serious bodily harm, and attempted kidnapping charges, both defendants face allegations of using a firearm and causing significant bodily harm. Franco is also charged with attempted carjacking.
The trial began in August but was declared a mistrial by Riverside County Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton after Gomez’s attorney fell ill and was unable to proceed. The previous jury was dismissed, and a new panel will be selected for the retrial.
Both defendants are currently held at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on $1 million bail.
According to the prosecution, Cortez was targeted by Franco and Gomez because he had stolen items from Gomez, and the defendant sought revenge with the assistance of Franco.
On the evening of November 2, 2020, the defendants located the victim at a residence near a strip mall on Stetson Avenue, close to Magnolia Circle, and cornered him inside the garage.
Prosecutors allege that Franco and Gomez beat the victim with metal pipes until he managed to escape. He ran to the nearby mall and collapsed in front of a Mexican restaurant.
Witnesses, including customers and employees, rushed to check on Cortez’s condition. According to the prosecution’s trial brief, one witness described the victim as having severe injuries from the beating.
At that moment, the defendants allegedly drove into the parking lot in Franco’s Dodge Durango and confronted the victim again. Gomez exited the SUV armed with an AR-15 rifle.
People sought safety inside the restaurant and their vehicles.
“The defendants then attempted to pull the victim towards the Durango,” court documents state. “Two separate cellphone videos captured the subsequent events. While Franco fought with the victim to get him into the car, Gomez shot him. The victim fell to the ground, screaming in pain, and Gomez continued firing multiple shots, totaling 15.”
Cortez tragically succumbed to his injuries at the scene.
The defendants fled the location in their SUV, and a witness gave chase. They eventually stopped in the middle of the street, where Franco reportedly pointed the AR-15 at the pursuer. Terrified, the witness sped away, and the defendants continued their escape, according to prosecutors.
Shortly after, Franco lost control of the Durango and crashed into a brick feature outside a residence on South Palm Avenue. The impact caused the SUV’s engine to fail. The defendants fled on foot in a southbound direction.
Hemet Police Department Lt. Nathan Miller reported that patrol officers conducted a search for the defendants, which concluded in the early hours of the following day. They were apprehended without incident while hiding on Coral Avenue.
Neither defendant has any prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
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