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The last of a half-dozen defendants involved in the love-triangle killing of a Perris man in a San Juan Capistrano creek bed was sentenced on Thursday, Feb. 2, and will soon be released from lockup because of his time spent behind bars.
Myles Emmanuel Jones,28, pleaded guilty several years ago to voluntary manslaughter for his role in the slaying of 38-year-old Alvaro Rios. Jones had been expected to serve as a key witness in the trial of the remaining co-defendants in the case, who all recently reached plea deals of their own.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Patrick Donahue said Jones was key to the overall case.
“I don’t think you could have proved the case, I don’t think you could have gone to trial, without Mr. Jones’ testimony,” the judge said.
“I agree, your honor,” Deputy District Attorney Mena Guirguis replied.
The judge sentenced Jones to six years in prison but noted that between Jones’ actual time in local lockup since his 2016 arrest and good behavior, Jones has credit for more than seven years behind bars. He was expected to be released no later than Friday, Feb. 3.
Jones — along with Brion Hyde, Anjelica Shibata, Ashkan Dezhangfard, Siavash Hosseinaliarhani and Ryan Huebner — was initially charged with special-circumstances murder. All were accused of being at the stabbing.
Rios, who was married, allegedly had a romantic relationship with Shibata, one defense attorney said. She was living with Hyde in San Juan Capistrano.
After the affair apparently surfaced, Shibata allegedly falsely claimed to Hyde and the others that Rios had sexually assaulted her, a lawyer said in court. Rios’ family has described him as a hardworking man.
Hyde was allegedly the ringleader in the plan to have Shibata lure Rios to a creek bed in an abandoned area next to the Arroyo Trabuco Golf Course, lawyers said. Rios was stabbed more than 20 times, with his body discovered by a jogger the next morning.
The other five defendants’ sentences ranged from 11 years to 25 years to life.
Originally published at Sean Emery