Four Santa Rosa home-invasion suspects arraigned on murder charges

Four men were arraigned on murder and other charges Tuesday in a pair of Santa Rosa home-invasion robberies that left one man dead and another shot and wounded.

The robberies happened early Thursday, 5 miles apart, and appear to involve suspects looking to steal marijuana and cash, authorities said.

Melcon Lane resident Jose Luis Torres, 54, was shot and killed during one of the break-ins. Deputies said his home had evidence of growing and selling pot, though family members have said they were not involved. In the other, a 42-year-old Fulton Road resident was shot in the arm and was expected to survive. That home had no apparent ties to the marijuana trade or other illicit activity, authorities said.

Deputies tracked three of the suspects to Vallejo where they were arrested after a vehicle pursuit. A fourth man was arrested at a Santa Rosa hotel Thursday night.

They are Mussie Himed, 27, of Santa Rosa; Tyrone Mcrae, 25, of Jackson, Mississippi; Jonathan Jackson, 19, of Richmond Hill, New York; and David Ealey, 23, of Richmond, Virginia.

A fifth suspect, Amber Hembree, 20, of Richmond, Virginia, remains at large.

All were named in an 11-count complaint alleging murder, robbery, burglary, kidnapping and false imprisonment. Jackson and Ealey were charged separately with personal and intentional discharge of a hand gun that killed Torres.

With his wife, he owned and operated Advance Appliance Services, a Santa Rosa-area appliance repair business.

Torres’ family said in a GoFundMe post that he was shot 10 times. His wife and son were bound during the invasion, their faces covered in duct tape, according to the post.

“The reason why they targeted my family remains unclear,” the post stated. “Supplies from an old legal grow were on our property but my father was not involved in growing or dealing. He had leased the land to others.”

The suspects were all held without bail.

Standing before Judge Jamie Thistlethwaite in blue jail uniforms, each postponed entering a plea. The judge set the next court date for ?Feb. 21.

Jackson’s court-appointed lawyer requested a mental health evaluation for his client.

Friends or family members of both Torres and Himed declined outside court to comment.

The apparently pot-related killing was the latest in Sonoma County over the past five years. In 2013, three men were shot and killed, execution-style, in a Forestville marijuana deal gone bad. Their killers were caught and convicted for their roles. Two people were shot and killed in Sebastopol in 2016 during another pot heist. Two suspects are believed to have fled across the country and remain on the run.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 707-568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.