Felon Accused of Killing MoVal Man Arraigned
Felon Accused of Killing MoVal Man Arraigned
by Contributing Editor
A convicted felon accused of fatally beating a 43-year-old Moreno Valley man pleaded not guilty Thursday to a murder charge.
Adonis Darnel Russell, 42, of Moreno Valley was arrested Dec. 8 following a months-long investigation into the Jan. 29 death of Tony Russell.
The defendant was arraigned before Riverside County Superior Court Judge David Gunn, who scheduled a felony settlement conference for Jan. 14 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Russell remains in custody in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.
According to sheriff’s Sgt. Ben Ramirez, the defendant was allegedly involved in a confrontation with the victim and two other men behind a residence in the 24200 block of Eucalyptus Avenue, near Indian Street.
Ramirez said patrol deputies were called to the property and found Tony Russell unconscious, suffering unspecified injuries, and one other man hurt, but his injuries were not life-threatening. The assailant had fled.
The victim was taken to nearby Riverside University Medical Center, where he died a short time later.
Detectives spent the ensuing months developing leads, which eventually pointed to Adonis Russell as the alleged perpetrator, according to Ramirez. An arrest warrant was obtained, and the defendant was taken into custody without incident on Adrienne Avenue during the early morning hours of Dec. 8.
A possible motive was not disclosed, and authorities did not confirm whether the defendant and victim were related.
According to court records, Adonis Russell has prior convictions for spousal abuse, assault resulting in great bodily injury and being under the influence of a controlled substance.
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All credit goes to Contributing Editor
Originally published on https://mynewsla.com
