Felon Accused of Shooting Man During Confrontation in Highgrove Due in Court

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A convicted felon accused of gunning down a 52-year- old man during a confrontation in Highgrove is slated to be arraigned Friday on murder and other charges.

Arnulfo Prado Jr., 34, of Riverside was arrested in December following a Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the slaying of Julio Ortega of Jurupa Valley.

Along with murder, Prado is charged with evading arrest and sentence- enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. He’s set to be arraigned before Superior Court Judge Gail O’Rane Friday morning at the Riverside Hall of Justice.

The defendant is being held in lieu of $3 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Brosche, at 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 3, Prado and Ortega were involved in an unspecified dispute at the intersection of Prospect Avenue and Spring Street.

Brosche alleged that during the confrontation, the defendant pulled a handgun and fatally shot the victim, then left the location.

A possible motive was not disclosed.

Deputies arrived minutes later and quickly identified Prado as the alleged assailant, culminating in a search that ended in San Jacinto, where the defendant was spotted driving on the east end of the city shortly before midnight, Brosche said.

He said that when deputies signaled Prado to stop, he sped away, but the chase ended a short time later in the 400 block of El Dorado Road, where he surrendered without further incident. No one was injured.

According to court records, Prado has a prior conviction for firearm assault and served time in state prison.

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