SALINAS — A judge has ruled that there’s sufficient evidence to proceed with a criminal case against defendants Pedro Nava, Jonathan Cervantes and Angel Evens for multiple crimes relating to a mass shooting at a family party in King City in March 2024 and the slaying of two in South Monterey County a month earlier. Judge Rafael Vazquez issued the order after a weeklong preliminary hearing at the end of last month according to a press release from the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Vazquez also found probable cause to believe many of the crimes were committed to benefit the Tiny Locos faction of the Norteno Criminal Street Gang.
Evans and other gang members allegedly stole two vehicles from cities on the Monterey Peninsula in January and February 2024, according to a press release. Evans was participating in the TAILS program at Wonderwood Ranch in Prunedale at the time.
The ranch’s director testified at the preliminary hearing that Wonderwood Ranch utilized grant money to pay for an apartment for Evans, 17 at the time, on the same road as the ranch. Evans had been released from custody in a penal institution into the TAILS program.
He was provided housing in a remote area, which allowed Evans to store the two stolen vehicles near his residence for extended periods of time, according to the press release. The press release also states it allowed him to possess and secrete multiple firearms and test fire multiple rounds of ammunition at an adjoining property.
On the evening of Feb. 3, 2024, Evans, Cervantes and two uncharged assailants allegedly committed an armed robbery at the Big 5 Sporting Goods at Northridge Mall in Salinas and stole over $2,000 of ammunition, according to the press release. The group used one of the stolen vehicles for the robbery.
Following communication from Nava the next day, a group of gang members including Evans and Cervantes went in search of rival gang members. Instead, they allegedly murdered cousins Jack Canchola and Andres Garcia on Los Coches Road, outside of Soledad on Feb. 4, according to the press release. The victims sustained over 40 gunshot wounds combined. The same stolen vehicle was used in this crime.
On March 3, again following communication from Nava, a group of gang members opened fire on a family party in King City. The crew, including Evans and Cervantes, was armed with three firearms and at least one was modified to be fully automatic. Francisco Perez, Olivo Perez, Mario Guzman and Alicia Aparicio were killed by the gang members and seven other victims suffered great bodily injury. The second stolen vehicle was used in this crime and the deceased victims sustained over 20 gunshot wounds combined, according to a press release.
All three defendants will be arraigned on an information on Dec. 4 at 8:30 a.m. in Department 5 of the Monterey Superior Court.
Investigation on these crimes remains ongoing, and law enforcement encourages anyone with information to reach out.
An earlier version of this story gave an inaccurate description of the TAILS program at Wonderwood Ranch that Evans was associated with. One of the aims at TAILS at Wonderwood Ranch is “horsemanship and whole-person wraparound support for youth released from incarceration,” according to its website. Evans was not associated with the TAILS operated by South County Animal Rescue, which matches shelter dogs with minimum-security prisoners.
