Felony Murder Charges Pending For San Diego Man Suspect In Pechanga Parkway Killing
TEMECULA, CA — A 39-year-old Vista man accused of assaulting a Temecula resident and leaving him for dead near the Pechanga Resort Casino was slated to face felony murder charges on Wednesday.
Alex Leyva was arrested and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on Sunday morning on suspicion of murder. He is being held at the Robert Presley Detention Center in lieu of $1 million bail. He was slated to answer pending felony murder charges at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta on Wednesday, according to jail records.
The Riverside County District Attorney's Office is reviewing the case. "This case is still under review and our office has not yet made a filing decision," a spokesperson for the DA's office told Patch Wednesday morning."
Shortly after 11:45 p.m. Saturday, Leyva was involved in an unspecified dispute with 35-year-old George Fresquez at the intersection of Pechanga Parkway and Wolf Valley Road, less than a block from the main resort entrance, according to Sgt. Mike Kelleher.
"During the confrontation, Fresquez was knocked out and was left lying in the southbound lanes of Pechanga Parkway," Kelleher said. "After the assault occurred, the victim was struck by a passing vehicle."
The driver, heading southbound on Pechanga at Wolf Valley Road, did not see Fresquez in time to stop, according to the sergeant.
A patrol deputy spotted Fresquez while driving through the intersection and immediately stopped to attempt CPR. Kelleher said county fire paramedics arrived minutes later and took over the resuscitative measures, but the victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
"The driver was transported to the Southwest Sheriff's Station to speak with investigators. The driver was cooperative with the investigation and was later released," Kelleher said. "Alcohol did not appear to be a factor in the collision.
Central Homicide Unit detectives assumed the investigation, and hours later, identified Leyva as the alleged assailant. The details of the investigation remain under wraps.
The suspect was taken into custody without incident at 9 a.m. Sunday, near the intersection of Pechanga and Temecula parkways, three miles from where the alleged attack occurred.
