Twin Brothers Face Murder Charges In Desert Hills Mall Shooting

CABAZON, CA — Twin 19-year-old brothers are accused, along with an 18-year-old, in a robbery that culminated in the shooting death of a 66-year-old shopper at the Desert Hills Premium Outlets in Cabazon are slated to be arraigned Friday.

Emanuel Rick Burt and Elijah Ray Burt, of Victorville, were extradited to Riverside County last month from Las Vegas where the pair were taken into custody based on an arrest warrant stemming from the slaying of Michael Moser of Palm Springs.

Emanuel Burt is charged with robbery, and his brother is charged with first-degree murder, a special circumstance allegation of killing during a robbery, as well as sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations. The brothers are set to be arraigned before Superior Court Judge Mark Singerton at the Banning Justice Center.

Emanuel Burt is being held on $135,000 bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside, where his brother is being held without bail.
Their co-defendant, 18-year-old Reginald Charles Trice of Victorville, was arrested in April and pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, illegal possession of a firearm, a special circumstance allegation of killing in the course of a robbery, and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

Trice is being held without bail at the Benoit Detention Center in Indio. He's scheduled to appear for a felony settlement conference in the courtroom where the brothers will be arraigned.

Sheriff's Sgt. Ben Ramirez alleged that Trice confronted Moser shortly before 7 p.m. on March 24 at the mall, although the specific location within the mall wasn't disclosed.

Ramirez said that Moser was shot at least once, prompting calls to 911, after which deputies and paramedics converged on the location. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Deputies did not locate the defendants when they reached the mall. However, Ramirez said over the ensuing weeks, detectives developed leads pointing to Trice as one of the alleged assailants. A warrant was obtained and served at his residence in the 15500 block of Morada Road on April 21, according to the sheriff's spokesman.

Trice was taken into custody without incident.

The brothers were identified and listed in the criminal complaint after Trice's arrest.

None of the defendants have documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.