Three teens charged with Gridley man's murder

Three teenagers have been charged with murder in last Monday's fatal shooting of an 18-year-old man in Gridley.

The defendants — Alejandro Javier Gonzalez, 19; Fredy Caudillo, 18; and Ricky Caudillo, 16 — were arraigned Wednesday in Butte County Superior Court. Despite his age, Ricky Caudillo is being charged as an adult due to the serious nature of the charges.

They were charged with a count of murder in the Oct. 1 shooting death of Alonzo Robles-Morales, according to information from the Butte County District Attorney's Office. For that count, they face the special allegations they fired a firearm and they fired it from a vehicle as part of gang activity.

The defendants are also charged with felony shooting from an occupied vehicle with a street terrorism allegation.

Deputy District Attorney Marc Noel said the defendants were allegedly in a gang that was in a rivalry with a separate gang whose members included Robles-Morales.

On Oct. 1, the two groups exchanged insults, according to Noel. When they later crossed paths in separate vehicles near Cedar and Indiana streets, a single shot was fired at around 7 p.m., striking Robles-Morales.

Robles-Morales was in a vehicle with three other people. The driver drove the victim to the Biggs-Gridley Memorial Hospital.

The victim was later transported to Enloe Medical Center in Chico where he died on Oct. 2 of the gunshot to the head, according to information the Gridley-Biggs police told the Appeal-Democrat.

Also on Oct. 2, the co-defendants allegedly came face-to-face with the rival gang in the parking lot of the 7-Eleven store at Monte Vista Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard in south Oroville. The confrontation devolved into a running gun battle along the east side of the building at about 5 p.m., according to Noel.

The defendants didn't enter pleas on the new charges Wednesday. The court appointed attorneys Jesus Rodriguez and Mark Stapleton to represent Fredy and Ricky Caudillo, respectively. Arturo Marquez is representing Gonzalez.

The Caudillos and Gonzalez may enter initial pleas during their next appearance in court on Tuesday.

They remain in custody in Butte County Jail, with bail set at $1.4 million for the homicide case and $1 million for the Oroville shooting.