Pair Accused of Killing Hemet Senior Enter Pleas

MURRIETA - Two men accused of gunning down a 77-year-old Hemet resident during a robbery at his home and committing additional armed robberies each pleaded not guilty today to murder and other charges.

Tiaki Alfred James Mosley, 19, and Kelvin Leymon Redd Jr., 24, both of San Jacinto, were arrested Nov. 19 in connection with the fatal shooting 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 during a felony.

Mosley and Redd appeared before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Timothy Freer, who scheduled a felony settlement conference in the case for Jan. 9.

Both men remain in custody without bail at the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to Hemet police Chief David Brown, the defendants were identified as a result of ''an intense ... investigation'' conducted with the assistance of 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 last month.

Investigators said Prinque was confronted by two armed men around 9 p.m. Nov. 16 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 his attackers 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 located the getaway car, the driver and its occupants were questioned and search warrants were obtained and served at several locations, culminating in the arrests of Mosley and Redd, Brown said.

Investigators believe the men were involved in two other robberies in the San Jacinto area in the weeks prior to the fatal shooting, the chief said.

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