Merlin Perales Ortiz Guilty of Murder in Riverside Apartment Slaying
A Yucca Valley woman was found guilty of killing a 20-year-old marijuana dealer during a robbery at a south Riverside apartment complex in 2020.
By Allison Rojas ·
Merlin Perales Ortiz, 24, will face a sentencing hearing on Nov. 18 after a Banning jury found her guilty of first-degree murder in the 2020 death of Wesley Flores Miranda. The conviction includes counts for conspiracy and killing in the course of a robbery. Ortiz, who resides in Yucca Valley, has been held without bail at the Smith Correctional Facility since her arrest.
The jury in Riverside County Superior Court deliberated for only a few hours before returning the verdict. Judge Jonathan Mendoza presided over the case. The charge carries a potential life sentence, aligning with the penalties given to Ortiz's two co-defendants who pleaded guilty in October 2021.
Isaiah Israel Rodriguez and Cristian Alejandro Runkle, both 23, accepted second-degree murder pleas. Rodriguez, who admitted to using a gun during the crime, received a sentence of 25 years to life. Runkle was sentenced to 15 years to life. Their guilty pleas resolved the legal status of the two men involved in the Nov. 8, 2020, incident.
Prosecutors identified Ortiz as the principal planner of the holdup. They stated that the trio, affiliated with a San Bernardino street gang, had planned to rob marijuana dealers for months. The group obtained Miranda's contact information via social media and arranged a meeting at the apartment of Runkle's girlfriend, identified in court documents as Star. Star was asleep in the bedroom because she had consumed alcohol and drugs earlier that day.
Surveillance video captured the sequence of events at the 5200 block of El Cerrito Drive. Miranda arrived carrying a backpack and was met by Ortiz at the door. Inside the unit, Runkle and Rodriguez confronted the victim. Rodriguez brandished a Glock 9mm semiautomatic handgun. Ortiz ordered Miranda to surrender the backpack in Spanish. When he refused, a struggle ensued, and he was fatally shot in the upper body just outside the doorway.
The three suspects fled the scene with the backpack, leaving Star to discover the body before Riverside police arrived. Detectives spent four weeks collecting evidence before identifying the defendants. All three were taken into custody without incident in San Bernardino County.
The sentencing hearing is scheduled for Nov. 18 at the Banning Justice Center. Ortiz remains in custody pending that date.
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