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Brothers ordered to stand trial for murder, accessory to murder in Ventura County

VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. – The Ventura County District Attorney's Office on Wednesday announced that a pair of brothers were ordered to stand trial for their involvement in a 2020 murder.

Gabriel Cortez, 25, is accused of shooting and killing Rogelio Lara on Sept. 27, 2020, and Gabriel's brother Raymundo Cortez, 24, is accused of being an accessory to the crime, according to Senior Deputy District Attorney John Barrick.

Witnesses to the Sept. 27, 2020 crime said that Lara had been sitting in his parked truck when an unknown man came up and shot him six times, Barrick said.

The man, later found to be Gabriel, then fled by car. Raymundo was driving the car when officers stopped it the next day, and Raymundo was a passenger, according to Barrick.

Both brothers were in possession of loaded firearms, and the gun used to murder Lara was found in the back passenger compartment of the car, Barrick said, adding that testing confirmed Gabriel's DNA was on the murder weapon.

The complaint filed against the brothers alleges 10 counts, including murder by Gabriel, Raymundo acting as an accessory after the murder, and multiple related firearms crimes committed by both brothers, Barrick said.

Gabriel is currently in custody with bail set at $750,000, and Raymundo is out of custody after posting a $50,000 bail.

The case will continue on April 27 in the Ventura County Superior Court for arraignment.

Article Topic Follows: Ventura County
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Jade Martinez-Pogue

Jade Martinez-Pogue is the Assignment Editor and web journalist at News Channel 3-12. To learn more about Jade, click here

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