Banning Man To Stand Trial For Allegedly Killing Two, Wounding A Third

BANNING, CA — A 24-year-old man accused of gunning down two people and seriously wounding a third in Banning must stand trial on two counts of first-degree murder and other charges, a judge ruled Thursday.

Dorian Alexander Francisco of Banning was arrested in December 2022 following the alleged attack in the 3300 block of Ramsey Street, just west of Sunset Avenue.

At the end of a preliminary hearing Thursday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Ronald Toff found there was sufficient evidence to bound Francisco over for trial on the murder counts, as well as one count of attempted murder, special-circumstance allegations of taking multiple lives and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

The special circumstance makes him eligible for capital punishment if he's convicted and the District Attorney's Office elects to pursue the death penalty.

The judge scheduled a post-preliminary hearing arraignment for June 26 at the Banning Justice Center. Francisco is being held without bail at the nearby Smith Correctional Facility.

According to the Banning Police Department, the defendant allegedly shot the three victims shortly before 5 p.m. on Dec. 28, 2022, in a non- residential area less than a quarter-mile north of Interstate 10.

Police did not reveal a possible motive, saying only the victims were part of a group gathered at the location.

After the gunfire erupted, witnesses called 911, and patrol officers converged on the location, from which the shooter had fled, authorities said.

One victim, identified in court documents only as "Michael G.," was pronounced dead by paramedics. The other two victims were taken to Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley with life-threatening wounds. One of them, identified in documents as "Mayra G.," died at the hospital.

The third victim, whose identity was not disclosed, ultimately recovered from his wounds.

Detectives quickly developed leads pointing to Francisco as the alleged perpetrator, and a multi-agency search was initiated, netting results on the afternoon of Dec. 30, 2022, when Banning patrol officers took the defendant into custody without incident on East Ramsey Street.

Francisco has no documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County. His only listed offenses are for being an unlicensed driver and speeding -- infractions resulting in fines.

—City News Service