Pretrial motions commenced on Wednesday, preceding the selection of a jury for the trial of a 33-year-old convicted felon accused of fatally shooting his aunt and severely injuring an acquaintance during a dispute at a family banquet in Riverside.
Abraham David Bonilla stands accused of second-degree murder, attempted murder, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of controlled substances while armed, firearm assault, brandishing a gun, and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. The incident took place in 2018 at the Elks Lodge on Brockton Avenue, where Bonilla allegedly killed 39-year-old Beatrice Romo and shot her friend, known as “Tommy.”
The case was assigned to Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sam Shouka at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Judge Shouka presided over discussions on witnesses, exhibits, scheduling, and jury instructions.
Jury selection is scheduled for Thursday, while Bonilla remains in custody with a bail set at $2 million at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
The Riverside police reported that the attack occurred during an event at the lodge, which had been leased by Bonilla’s family. The altercation took place towards the end of the affair after several hours of uneventful proceedings. Bonilla allegedly pulled out a .380 semiautomatic handgun and fired at partygoers without clear intentions, striking Romo and Tommy.
Fleeing the scene, Bonilla was involved in a car accident in the area of Fremont Street and Jurupa Avenue. Shortly after, officers arrested him without incident. Romo underwent surgery but passed away within two hours, while Tommy has since recovered from his upper body wound.
Court records indicate that Bonilla has previous convictions for assault with a deadly weapon and gang activity.
Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
