SAN JOSE (BCN) — The sixth suspect arrested in connection with the murder of a nightclub security manager last week was arraigned in a San Jose courtroom Thursday afternoon.
Andrew Cervantes, 20, turned himself in on Tuesday after five of his relatives were arrested in connection with the Feb. 26 stabbing death of 35-year-old Frank Navarro at Tres Gringos Cabo Cantina in downtown San Jose.
Cervantes is expected to enter a plea on March 21, along with the other five defendants. He is being held on $1 million bail.
Court records show that Cervantes is the nephew of 32-year-old Robert Ruiz, who was arrested along with Ruiz’s 24-year-old cousin Aaron Vallejo shortly after the killing.
Vallejo and Ruiz’s cousins Joseph and Percella Esquivel, 27 and 25, and the Esquivels’ 21-year-old brother Santos Trevino were arraigned earlier this week.
All six suspects have been charged with murder.
Ruiz faces an additional charge for felony evasion after he allegedly led police officers on a 7-mile high-speed chase to Boynton Avenue and Kiely Boulevard.
According to San Jose police Sgt. John Barg, Joseph Esquivel tried to enter Tres Gringos by showing the doorman Trevino’s ID card.
The doorman did not allow Joseph Esquivel inside and confiscated the ID, apparently because it was not his ID and the club’s dress code does not allow facial tattoos.
Barg said Percella Esquivel threatened the doorman with harm if he didn’t return the ID and then used her cellphone to summon her relatives, who arrived shortly thereafter in a red Buick.
Navarro tried to break up the fight that ensued, at which point he was stabbed at least three times in the torso and once in the neck.
Navarro, who was president of the local Eastridge Little League, was taken to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Just 11 days before the killing, charges against Cervantes and Ruiz were dismissed after a Jan. 25 probation search of Cervantes turned up a loaded stolen pistol, an unloaded pistol, a high-capacity magazine and a bottle of codeine.
The dismissed charges included probation violation, possession of codeine, possession of a stolen firearm and child endangerment of Cervantes’ 17-year-old brother, also a habitual offender on probation.