Pair Charged With Murder in Shooting Death of 77-Year-Old Man

Two men accused of gunning down a 77-year-old Hemet man during an attempted robbery at his home and committing additional armed robberies in the area were each charged Friday with first-degree murder.

Tiaki Alfred James Mosley, 19, and Kelvin Leymon Redd Jr., 24, both of San Jacinto, were arrested Tuesday in connection with the shooting death of Victor Prinque.

Along with murder, the defendants are each charged with special circumstance allegations of killing in the commission of a robbery and lying in wait, as well as three counts of robbery with sentence-enhancing allegations of targeting persons 65 years or older and using a firearm in each alleged offense.

Mosley and Redd, who are each being held without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, are slated to make their initial court appearances this afternoon.

According to Hemet police Chief David Brown, the defendants were identified as a result of  an intense investigation conducted with the assistance of Riverside County sheriff's deputies.

"Hemet police investigators pursued this case with relentless commitment and made it clear they would not sleep until the suspects responsible for this senseless crime were identified and arrested," Brown said Wednesday.

Investigators said Prinque was confronted by two armed men around 9 p.m. Saturday after he and his wife returned to their house in the 2800 block of West Fruitvale Avenue. The victim was in the garage, alone, when the defendants allegedly attempted to get money and valuables from him, precipitating the shooting, police said.

According to Brown, the men fled immediately afterward without being spotted, but detectives were able to obtain a description of their vehicle and shared that information with surrounding agencies.

The police chief said a sheriff's sergeant Tuesday located what he believed was the getaway car, leading to the driver and its occupants being questioned. Search warrants were obtained and served at several locations, culminating in Mosley and Redd being arrested, Brown said.

Investigators believe the men were involved in two other robberies in the San Jacinto area over the last month.

According to court records, Redd has misdemeanor conviction for petty theft in 2007. There was no record of adult convictions for Mosley.

– City News Service