Felon Charged with Gunning Down La Cresta Man During Burglary

MURRIETA (CNS) – A convicted felon accused of fatally shooting a 35- year-old man while burglarizing his La Cresta home was charged Wednesday with first- degree murder and other offenses.

Jose Daniel Aguilar was arrested Sunday following a week-long Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigation into the slaying of Andrew Cisneros.

Along with murder, Aguilar is charged with burglary, robbery and special circumstance allegations of killing in the course of a burglary and killing during the commission of a robbery.

He’s being held without bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside and was slated to make his initial court appearance Wednesday afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, on the evening of Feb. 26, Aguilar and possibly one other man, whose identity has not been confirmed, broke into Cisneros’ residence in the 38000 block of Via Majorca, near Via Baya, just west of Murrieta.

During the break-in, there was a confrontation, and the defendant allegedly shot the homeowner several times, Ramirez said.

Witnesses called 911, and patrol deputies and paramedics reached the outlying location a short time later, unsuccessfully attempting resuscitative measures, the sergeant said. Cisneros was pronounced dead at the scene.

Detectives from the Central Homicide Unit initiated an investigation that ultimately pointed to Aguilar as the alleged assailant. Ramirez said he was tracked to Moreno Valley, where he was taken into custody without incident in the predawn hours Sunday following a traffic stop at Eucalyptus Avenue and Heacock Street.

According to court records, Aguilar has prior convictions for auto theft, receiving a stolen vehicle, felony evading, being a felon in possession of an assault weapon and resisting arrest.

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