A 19-year-old named Ricky Raymond Rocha was recently charged with the gang-related fatal stabbing of Javier Rivera, a 51-year-old resident of Cathedral City, in Santa Ana last Thursday.
Rocha has been charged with murder, with an additional special-circumstances allegation of committing murder for a gang. In addition, he is facing a felony count of participating in a criminal street gang, along with sentencing enhancements for his involvement in gang activity and the personal use of a deadly weapon.
At 10:43 PM on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, Santa Ana Police Communications received a report regarding a male stabbing victim who had arrived at Fountain Valley Regional Hospital.
The victim stated that he was stabbed near the intersection of Euclid Street and McFadden Avenue.
The victim, Rivera, tragically passed away on July 13, 2023, at 1:00 AM, at a local trauma center due to his injuries.
During the investigation, the SAPD Homicide Detectives determined that the stabbing was motivated by gang-related issues, and they identified the main suspect as Ricky Rocha, a 19-year-old resident of Santa Ana. On November 28, 2023, Rocha was apprehended and taken into custody.
According to the SAPD, both Rocha and Rivera were confirmed to be members of a gang.
During his arraignment on Thursday, Rocha chose not to enter a plea. The court has rescheduled his arraignment for December 14th at the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana. Currently, Rocha is being held without bail.
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