Anonymous tips aided police in arrests for Easter Sunday killing
Pictured (L-R): Jon Flores and Joseph Arrez.ONTARIO -- The two alleged gang members charged with carjacking and murdering a man on Easter Sunday were tied to the killing through assistance from witnesses, police said.
Jon Flores, 29, and Joseph Arrez, 31, have pleaded not guilty to criminal charges filed in connection with the April 24 shooting death of Gregory Peck Johnson.
Johnson, a 59-year-old former Marine, was shot in the head at about 6:30 p.m. during an alleged carjacking outside his apartment building in the 1500 block of North Holmes Court, police said.
Police found his 2006 Ford Explorer about three hours later in an alley near the intersection of D Street and Begonia Avenue.
After holding a press conference about the case in the days following the shooting, police received anonymous phone calls from people who said Flores and Arrez were Johnson's killers, Sgt. Keith Volm said.
Witnesses later identified the men in photo lineups presented to them by investigators, Volm said.
Witnesses identified Flores and Arrez as people seen after the shooting entering an apartment building within a quarter-mile of where the vehicle was abandoned, according to a court declaration from Detective Jeff Wentz.
Two men matching the descriptions of Flores and Arrez were seen leaving Johnson's car where it was abandoned about 30 minutes after the shooting, according to Wentz's declaration, which was in the defendants' court file.
Johnson was shot with a .22-caliber round, and one or more witnesses saw Flores and Arrez with a .22-caliber handgun after the shooting, Wentz wrote.
Volm said he believed that people provided anonymous tips in part because Johnson was a random victim, not a gang member targeted by a rival.
"I think people were just upset by that fact," Volm said.
Johnson fought in the Vietnam War, and after his military service he became an officer with the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, Volm said. Johnson recently retired, Volm said.
"We believe he was just a random victim -- that these guys needed a ride and they just saw him," Volm said.
Flores was arrested May 18 at his home in the 500 block of West Maitland Street in Ontario.
Arrez was arrested the following day in Thousand Palms in the 31500 block of Las Flores Way.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office has charged both men with murder, carjacking and street terrorism.
The charges carry "special allegations" -- which if proven would lengthen the men's prison terms -- that the crimes were committed using a firearm and to benefit a street gang.
Both men have numerous gang tattoos, including "Onterio," which Arrez has tattooed on his back and Flores has tattooed on his head, according to police reports and booking photos.
"I've known these guys for many, many years," Volm said. "They're both members of the gang."
Flores and Arrez each have a prior conviction related to drug sales, and Flores was convicted in 2005 of vehicle theft, according to the felony complaint in the men's court file.
The men remain jailed in lieu of $1 million bail, and they're next due June 29 in West Valley Superior Court in Rancho Cucamonga.
Flores' mother declined to comment when she was reached at her home on Maitland Street.
useing some type of gps unit 24 7 to watch and change out comes useing domestic shelters nternet bashing us bank mt vernon ill another victim tina birkhead 1326 n 12 mt vernon ill up in albacurce nm social security number 326 62 3216 stoping health issues threw domestic shelters adding lies she is off skitz bank useing mobbing process people on the streets to do dirt tecnnolagy not wanting to forfoot they have gifted doing great harm starting lies that a person cant come up from to cover there own theift in mt vernon ill involveing rita waskla court house public records katrina stieffell and brother jimmy toni bailey robin webb jimmy firebauch cloyheing swiched out stolen cash taken in great amounts out of fear some stuff left moved several times dallas texas bloomington normal charelston ill marion ill 7 yrs of abuse father donald birkhead milatry man left every thing to her sighned over at the states attourneys office in mt vernon ill as well as sanduskys in mt vernon illthrown in jail on a forged statement and signature by dective trotter and talbert released 750 not returned although in her name child support checks done the same way great harm in mass amounts to her reputation nude pictures as well as pictures that were not her said she prostituted never did clean back ground health wise stoped love cash ...a although not perfect she has had to use some means to try to get help because of the stops placed in her way
sooo sad!!
useing some type of human gps unit 2 block and take advantage of ones constatutional rights stoping love work cash stealing US bank mt vernon ill pay offs a mans money stolen from donald birkhead from the bank and his statements sighned over at the states attourneys office to give his grandaughter tina renee birkhead sole access to cash stolen the mt vernon police arrested her on a forged statement and signature shes never been in any legal trouble harrassed 4 several years 200 000 dollars plus stocks bonds stolen a false reputation put out there by rita waskla useing a prossee called mobbing to gain insane or skitzafrania turned to domestic shelters 4 help paid on side in little bits family members she had a op against following diffrent ones at diffrent times needs to be turned in to the fbi a process that will be cut and dry with out her getting the help she nos they have a gps or some type of health monater but its against her will and was done unknowing to her is gifted 2 carbondale ill
coments not tina birkhead
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