Six members of the same family were charged with murdering a bouncer last year over a confiscated identification card, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's office announced Friday.
Two brothers, a sister and three cousins were indicted earlier this week by the criminal grand jury, prosecutors said.
Santos Andrew Trevino, 22, 28-year-old Joseph Esquivel, 26-year-old Percella Marissa Esquivel, 25-year-old Aaron Ruben Vallejo, 33-year-old Robert Anthony Ruiz and 21-year-old Andrew Ray Cervantez were charged with murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, according to prosecutors.
On Feb. 25, 2017 a security guard working at the Tres Gringos bar on South Second Street in San Jose confiscated an identification card from Joseph Esquivel. Esquivel was using his younger brother's identification card to get into the bar, the district attorney's office said.
Esquivel and his sister demanded the ID back. After the security guard told the Trevinos that they needed to call the police if they wanted the ID, at which point they walked away and called the younger brother whose ID was being held.
An estimated 15 minutes later, a car pulled up outside of the bar and the other four defendants got out to speak with the brother and sister who were already standing outside, prosecutors said.
The whole group walked up to the security guard and confronted him, asking for the ID back. Both brothers involved with the ID card punched the guard, according to reports.
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Prosecutors said that 35-year-old Frank Navarro, the head of security, walked over to try and diffuse the situation. While he was talking to the group, Navarro was attacked and stabbed five times. The stab to his neck was fatal.
Ruiz and Vallejo fled in the car they had pulled up in and the other four defendants took off on foot, according to the district attorney's office.
San Jose police arrested Ruiz and Vallejo after a high-speed car chase fifteen minutes after the murder. The rest of the defendants were arrested within the following two weeks, prosecutors said.
The defendants are expected to be arraigned today at 1:30 p.m. in the Hall of Justice in San Jose. If they are in fact convicted, they potentially face life in prison.
"This was a savage and senseless crime that took the life of a beloved member of our community," prosecutor Lance Daugherty said. "Every murder is a tragedy. Sadly, Frank Navarro was stabbed to death over a confiscated ID, which would have cost $30 to replace."
