Anza Murder Trial: Jury Selection Underway In 2021 Slaying

ANZA, CA — Jury selection got underway Wednesday for the trial of a 38-year-old convicted felon accused of killing an Anza resident during a dispute and then fleeing to Northern California, where he was apprehended.

Benjamin Franklin Winkle allegedly killed 37-year-old Michael Mendoza in 2021.

Winkle is charged with murder, witness intimidation, being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.

His case was assigned to the courtroom of Riverside County Superior Court Judge John Davis at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, where panels of prospective jurors were summoned Wednesday for screening as to their availability and qualifications.

Opening statements are expected early next week.

Winkle is being held in lieu of $1 million bail at the Byrd Detention Center.

Sgt. Richard Carroll of the Riverside County Sheriff's Department alleged that on the afternoon of Oct. 6, 2021, Winkle and the victim were involved in a confrontation related to prior conflicts in the 61200 block of Indian Paint Brush Road, near the Cahuilla Indian Reservation in Anza.

During the dispute, the defendant allegedly pulled a handgun and shot the victim multiple times, according to the sergeant.

Winkle allegedly fled before deputies arrived, but investigators soon confirmed his identity, culminating in a warrant being issued for his arrest, Carroll said.

He said Placer County sheriff's personnel notified homicide detectives in Perris during the last week of November 2021 that the defendant was behind bars for unspecified crimes in Northern California. Intrastate extradition proceedings began immediately, and Winkle was returned to Riverside County days later.

According to court records, he has a prior felony conviction in another jurisdiction, but details were unavailable. He has a prior misdemeanor conviction in Riverside County for being an unlicensed operator of a motor vehicle.