Trial Underway For Man Accused Of Murdering Lake Elsinore Man With Hammer

Pretrial motions got under way today ahead of jury selection for the trial of a 20-year-old man accused of masterminding the murder of a Lake Elsinore resident from whom he bought marijuana.

Tony Martinez Carrera could face life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted of first-degree murder and robbery, and jurors also find true a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery in the May 2009 death of 19-year-old Daniel Coronado.

His co-defendant, Rocky Padilla, 20, was convicted separately of the same charges on April 18 and is slated to be sentenced on May 27.

After confirming today that the prosecution and defense were ready to get started with pretrial motions, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Roger Luebs assigned the case to the courtroom of Judge Helios Hernandez, who scheduled further proceedings for Tuesday afternoon.

According to a trial brief filed by Deputy District Attorney John Aki, Carrera and Coronado were casual acquaintances, with the latter occasionally selling the defendant marijuana.

Carrera allegedly plotted to rob the victim, and on May 8, 2009, arranged to meet him at a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Corona.

According to court papers, Carrera enlisted the help of Padilla, who owed him $200. The defendants convinced Coronado to join them for an all-night party in Moreno Valley, and the three men left the restaurant together in Carrera's car, according to sheriff's investigators.

Along the way, Padilla, seated in the back of the vehicle, slipped a rope around Coronado's neck and started strangling him, prosecutors said.

"Both defendants got Coronado out of the car, and then Padilla struck Coronado with a hammer at least five times.'' according to the trial brief.

On May 10 -- Mother's Day -- Coronado's mother, Jeanne Graves, reported him missing. Investigators reviewed the victim's cell phone log and identified Carrera as one of the last people to communicate with him, the brief stated.

Surveillance video from the Chick-fil-A confirmed that Coronado, Carrera and Padilla were there together.

On May 16, Carrera was arrested and led investigators to the victim's remains, which had been exposed to high temperatures for a week, making identification difficult, according to the brief.

After a detailed forensic exam, the young man was positively identified.

An autopsy revealed he had been struck in the head numerous times with both the round and claw ends of a hammer.

Padilla was located on May 17 in Santa Ana and arrested while trying to flee from a police K9 unit.

Coronado's silver 1996 Honda Civic was located in the vicinity. It had been set ablaze.

Padilla confessed to taking part in the attack, but told detectives that he had been led to believe they were only going to rob the victim.

Carrera is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside. --City News Service