Murder verdict: Yucca Valley woman convicted in 2020 Riverside slaying
A jury found Merlin Perales Ortiz guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Wesley Flores Miranda, a case that began with a planned robbery at an apartment in south Riverside.
By Olivia Barnes ·
Merlin Perales Ortiz, 24, lost her freedom without bail on Thursday, Oct. 29, after a Banning jury returned guilty verdicts on first-degree murder, conspiracy, and a special-circumstance allegation of killing during a robbery. The conviction ends a trial focused on the 2020 death of Wesley Flores Miranda, a 20-year-old Honduran national.
The holdup took place on the night of Nov. 8, 2020, in the 5200 block of El Cerrito Drive in the Canyon Crest neighborhood. The location was an apartment leased by “Star,” the girlfriend of co-defendant Cristian Alejandro Runkle. According to court papers, Star was asleep in her bedroom after consuming alcohol and drugs during the day.
Prosecutors described Ortiz as the principal planner of the crime. The trio, all affiliated with a decades-old San Bernardino street gang, had schemed for months to rob marijuana dealers. They obtained Miranda’s contact information through social media and arranged the meeting at Star’s residence. Rodriguez acted as the gunman, holding a Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun, while Ortiz directed the operation in Spanish.
Surveillance video captured the victim exiting his car with a backpack and entering the apartment. Once inside, out of camera view, Miranda was confronted by Runkle and Rodriguez. He refused to surrender the backpack, leading to a struggle. He was fatally shot in the upper body just outside the doorway. The defendants fled with the backpack, leaving Star to face the scene and arriving police officers.
Ortiz’s co-defendants, Isaiah Israel Rodriguez and Cristian Alejandro Runkle, both now 23, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in October 2021. Rodriguez admitted to a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation and received a sentence of 25 years to life in prison. Runkle received a sentence of 15 years to life.
Detectives identified the three defendants after four weeks of evidence collection. All were taken into custody without incident in San Bernardino County. The jury deliberated for only a few hours before reaching their decision on Thursday.
Judge Jonathan Mendoza of Riverside County Superior Court scheduled Ortiz’s sentencing hearing for Nov. 18 at the Banning Justice Center. She remains in custody at the Smith Correctional Facility.
Source: The San Bernardino Sun
