Suspect in Santa Rosa slaying may have role in other shootings

Prosecutors presented evidence Tuesday suggesting at least one of three Santa Rosa men charged in a July slaying outside a Corby Avenue apartment complex could have been a triggerman in two other gang-related shootings.

The revelation came during a preliminary hearing for Ramon Perez, 19, and Jesse Urbina and Mizrain Nava Cano, both 22. They're charged with murdering Austin Sargent-Deselle, 20, also of Santa Rosa, on July 6.

Perez is alleged to have shot Sargent-Deselle about 1:45 a.m. when he and Nava Cano confronted Sargent-Deselle and friends in the complex parking lot. Urbina is the suspected getaway driver.

All have pleaded not guilty and are being held without bail.

Detectives testified they collected nine bullet casings and one unfired bullet from the Corby shooting scene. Later in the hearing, prosecutor Diana Gomez questioned officers about two other shootings — one at Rockwell Place on April 21 and another at South Davis Park on May 4.

In the Rockwell Place shooting, a 19-year-old gang member was shot and wounded by a man riding by on a bicycle. At South Davis Park, a 16-year-old girl was shot and wounded.

Officers collected bullet casings at the other shootings as well. A forensics expert was scheduled to testify when the hearing was cut short.

Attorneys from the Public Defender's Office representing Perez declared they discovered a conflict of interest over the lunch break, and a new lawyer was appointed.

A new hearing date was set for Oct. 6.

'I'm not placing blame, but this is a frustrating process to go through,' Gomez told Judge Patrick Broderick.

Earlier in the hearing, a sheriff's sergeant testified about being dispatched to the Corby Avenue shooting and finding several men attempting to load a bleeding Sargent-Deselle into the back of a BMW.

An ambulance came and took the unconscious man to the hospital, where he later died with wounds to his neck and pelvis, according to testimony.

A photo of Sargent-Deselle taken during his autopsy was hung on the courtroom wall along with an aerial photo and a picture of the scene.

Defense attorneys suggested the delay in getting medical attention caused by the sergeant's arrival contributed to the victim's death.

Other detectives testified about a video recording from a nearby 7-Eleven store that showed the three suspects just before the shooting. One flipped his middle finger at the camera and another flashed a gang sign before they all headed toward the apartment complex in a silver Jaguar registered to Urbina, a detective said.

The criminal complaint alleges the three men drove into rival 'sureño territory' with a 9 mm pistol. Perez and Urbina are alleged to have donned hooded sweatshirts and walked toward the victims, firing at them.

All three face life in prison if convicted as charged.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.