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Suspects In Murder, Attempted Murder Due Back In Court

Two cases with Santa Clarita Valley suspects were continued in court this week.


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Ron Holt, 45, of Castaic, stands accused of attempted murder after he allegedly beat another man in the head with a miniature baseball bat.

He’s due back in court Oct. 2 for his preliminary hearing.

Holt pleaded not guilty at his arraignment, and a judge will determine in October whether there is sufficient evidence to hold Holt over for trial.

Witnesses said Holt was refused service at The Sundown Bar at the 7800 block of Foothill Boulevard in Sunland, because he was drunk, according to Detective Anthony Stephenson of the Los Angeles Police Department.

“He turned to the victim (who was inside the bar) and said, ‘Hey Lance (Love), you know me, tell them I’m OK,’” Stephenson said.

When Love refused to get involved, Holt left the bar, came back and struck Love twice with a miniature baseball bat, Stephenson said.

“He hit the suspect twice and knocked the victim out of his (motorized) wheelchair and knocked the wheelchair over with (the victim),” he said.

Cesar Navarro, 21, of Newhall is due back in court Sept. 4 for another hearing date, and to set the trial schedule.

During Navarro’s preliminary hearing, after which he was ordered to stand trial, a Sheriff’s Department detective testified about the defendant’s gang affiliation and how it tied into his crime.

Navarro is suspected of being a member of the All Out Bombers, which was a factor in his murder of Franco Olea, 28, a member of the Newhall 13 gang, detectives said.

In a field interview with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, Navarro allegedly admitted to being a member of the AOBs.

A police field interview card revealed that Navarro, also known as Speedy, has an AOB tattoo on his upper left chest.

The AOBs and the Newhall 13 gangs have turf that overlaps in the Newhall area. Their rivalry resulted from a failed merger that took place more a year and half ago. Personal quarrels prevented the merger from taking place, according to Detective Jeff Burrows said.

There are fights on a daily basis between the AOBs and the Newhall 13 that often go unreported, he said.

One of these altercations in December is what led to Olea’s death, he added.

Burrow confirmed that there have been more than 120 members active in the AOBs since their beginnings.

The AOBs’ primary activities include: robbery; assault; vandalism; auto theft and selling narcotics.  

Navarro is being held in lieu of $1,070,000 bail at the Pitchess Detention Center.


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Suspects In Murder, Attempted Murder Due Back In Court

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About Perry Smith

Perry Smith is a print and broadcast journalist who has won several awards for his focused, hyperlocal community coverage in several different regions of the country. In addition to five years of experience covering the Santa Clarita Valley, Smith, a San Fernando Valley native, has worked in newspapers and news websites in Los Angeles, the Northwest, the Central Valley and the South, before coming to KHTS in 2012. To contact Smith, email him at Perry@hometownstation.com.