Trial to begin for trio accused in violent home invasion

MURRIETA - Jury selection is slated to get underway today in the trial of a woman and two men accused of committing a San Jacinto home invasion robbery that involved severely beating a man tied to a chair.

Quadrea Lee Jackson, 24, John George Kiriakos, 39, and Sandi Faith Salah, 26, all from the San Jacinto Valley, could face more than 20 years in prison if convicted of multiple felony counts, including kidnapping to commit a robbery, torture and assault with a deadly weapon.

A fourth defendant, 34-year-old Shabock Novel Jamerson, pleaded guilty last year to robbery and auto theft. He's scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 5.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Angel Bermudez is slated to summon more than 150 prospective jurors to the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta for screening as to their qualifications and availability. Opening statements in the case are expected early next week.

Each of the defendants is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at either the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning or the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta.

The foursome broke into a residence in the 700 block of Cawston Avenue in the early morning hours of Aug. 29, 2012, and began ransacking the place before the property owner returned, sheriff's investigators allege.

Detectives said that when the homeowner, whose identity was not released, arrived at the single-story residence after taking his child to school, he was immediately confronted by three masked men, who bound him to a chair and repeatedly struck him.

The defendants allegedly loaded goods taken out of the house, including two hunting rifles, into the victim's pickup truck parked outside. They drove off in the vehicle, and moments later, the victim was able to wriggle free and call 911.

Sheriff's deputies patrolling the area spotted the pickup in a mobile home park in the 600 block of North State Street in Hemet and went over to investigate, at which point several people fled from the stolen vehicle, prompting deputies to surround the trailer where the pickup was parked.

Four occupants followed deputies' commands and surrendered immediately, but one hunkered inside the trailer for hours before finally giving up.

The victim suffered non-life-threatening injuries from which he has since recovered.

According to court records, Kiriakos has a prior felony conviction for drug dealing, while Salah has a misdemeanor conviction for being in possession of a controlled substance. Jackson has several felony convictions, though court papers did not specify for what.