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# Cousins deny role in Juarez murders
- URL: https://www.smdp.com/cousins-deny-role-in-juarez-murders/
- Published: 2006-06-09T15:00:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-23T18:16:54.000Z
- Author: Guest Author
- Tags: Crime, Santa Monica, #archive-import

*Volumes of evidence still being gathered*

*By MICHAEL J. TITTINGER Daily Press Staff Writer*

LAX COURTHOUSE — A pair of gang members already serving time in state prison on unrelated felony convictions, were led into a courtroom Thursday morning to answer to charges that they gunned down two brothers in a Santa Monica clothing store nearly eight years ago.

David Robles and Jesse Garcia,both wearing blue LA County-issue jump-suits, stood before Superior Court Judge Keith Schwartz and said they were “not guilty”of murdering Michael and Anthony Juarez in October of 1998 at a Lincoln Boulevard clothing store owned and operated by the victims’ cousin, Frank Juarez Jr.

Judge Schwartz scheduled a hearing for July 25, at which time Deputy District Attorney Joseph Markus, who is prosecuting the case, and defense attorneys will establish a preliminary hearing date and comply with discovery — sharing evidence to be entered at trial and listing witnesses.

“The two entered the courtroom for arraignment, they waived the formal reading of the charges against them, and they plead not guilty,” Markus said. against both Robles, 30, and Garcia, 29, until May 2, after evidence recovered at the crime scene was processed with current DNA technology. According to the Santa Monica Police Department, the DNA evidence was sent to the California Department of Justice, Bureau of Forensics Services DNA Laboratory and entered into their databank of known offenders.

The samples were ultimately matched with Robles and Garcia, cousins and noted gang members already behind bars for prior felony convictions.

Robles, also known as “Puppet,” has been serving an eight-year sentence in Corcoran State Prison, after being convicted of voluntary manslaughter in February 2001\. Garcia, also known as “Psycho,”was convicted of carjacking and assault with a deadly weapon with a firearm causing great bodily injury in May 1999.He was being held in Ironwood State Prison.

On Oct. 27, 1998, two masked gunmen entered Westside Clothing — which was located between Pacific and Strand streets on Lincoln Boulevard — shortly before noon, and opened fire with numerous rounds from an assault rifle and pair of handguns on four occupants of the store. Michael Juarez and Frank Juarez Jr. ran toward the back door to try and escape the gunfire, according to police. Anthony Juarez was gunned down before he could make his way to the back. Frank Juarez Jr. and Matthew Vaughan, a customer in the store, were also shot multiple times, but survived.

The murders were believed to be in retaliation for a homicide that occurred in broad daylight just days before the Juarez brothers were gunned down. According to reports, a gang member was attending a drug class at the Clare Foundation on Lincoln Boulevard when he was shot while waiting for the bus, prompting the Culver City Boyz to retaliate against Santa Monica gang members.

The Juarez brothers weren’t from Santa Monica,nor affiliated with any gangs.They were said to be interested in opening a store akin to Westside Clothing where they lived in Cayucos, a small town in San Luis Obispo County. They had come into Santa Monica the night before to check out their cousin’s operation.

Michael Juarez was 27 when he died. His younger brother Anthony was 19.

Following the shooting at Westside Clothing, the masked assailants ran out of the store and got into a car awaiting them on Lincoln Boulevard, driven away by an unknown suspect. The car was subsequently discovered near LAX later that day,wiped clean.

Robles and Garcia, both of whom face two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder, are eligible for the death penalty. A special committee will determine if the defendants should face capital punishment following a preliminary hearing.

According to Attorney Michael Norris, who is defending Jesse Garcia, a “voluminous” amount of discovery is still being turned over. Following Thursday’s proceeding, he said it would be premature to comment on the case against his client.

*Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 9, 2006.* [Read the original PDF.](https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/smdp%5Fbackissues/060906.pdf?ref=smdp.com)