Chino man pleads insanity in revenge murder case

A 28-year-old Chino man pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity Thursday to charges that he murdered his cousin after discovering his wife and his cousin had an affair.

Prosecutors say Miguel Ramos shot and killed Valentin Barria, 25, at a Chino house party on May 10.

Barria's widowed wife, Maximina Lopez Garcia, said at a preliminary hearing last month that Ramos was angry at Barria over the affair, which ended Ramos's marriage.

Garcia said she, Barria, and the couple's 5-year-old son decided to leave the party, on Fifth Street, when they saw Ramos arrive at about 9:40 p.m.

As the family was leaving the party, Ramos told Barria, "Cousin, you owe me something," then shot him with a handgun three times, Garcia said.

Barria's son was only a few feet away at the time, Garcia said. Barria died soon after he was taken to a local hospital.

On Thursday in Chino Superior Court, Ramos pleaded both not guilty and not guilty by reason of insanity to a murder charge, said Deputy District Attorney Nimisha Gohil.

The dual pleas mean that first Ramos will be tried on the murder charge, and if he is convicted the case will move to an additional phase to determine whether Ramos was sane at the time of the shooting, Gohil said.

The court appointed two doctors Thursday to examine Ramos before Jan. 28, when he is next scheduled to appear in court, Gohil said.

Ramos remains jailed in lieu of $1.1 million bail.

Click here to read past blog posts on Ramos's case.