Morgan is charged with two counts of murder in the Dec. 14, 2008, killing of Salvador Soliz, 18, and Ramiro Sanchez, 16, both of Riverside. Prosecutors said Morgan killed the Latinos as part of the initiation process into a Riverside gang.
Arsenio Morgan
A jury deadlocked in the double-murder trial against an admitted gang member who said he shot two Riverside teens in self-defense.
Jurors deliberated for a week but could not reach a unanimous verdict about whether Arsenio Morgan, 23, should be convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder or manslaughter.
Riverside County district attorney’s officials will review the case and decide whether to retry it in front of a new jury.
Defense attorneys said they are hoping to settle the case, possibly if Morgan agrees to plead guilty to avoid the death penalty.
“We’re always amenable to taking death off the table for an 18-year-old defendant,” defense attorney Darryl Exum said, referring to Morgan’s age at the time of the shooting.
District attorney’s officials said they would not discuss the case while it was still pending.
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