Trial Date Confirmed for Escondido Man Charged in 2020 Cathedral City Murder

A judge Friday confirmed an upcoming trial date for one of two men accused of killing a 24-year-old man in Riverside County in 2020.

Johnny Ramirez, 31, of Escondido, was charged with a count of murder and a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a weapon during a felony, according to court records. He initially pleaded not guilty on Aug. 10, 2023 at the Larson Justice Center in Indio.

Ramirez’s trial is set to begin on Dec. 2, according to case records.

Officers responded shortly before 7 p.m. Nov. 23, 2020, to a report of a man down in the area of Avenida Del Yermo and Ramon Road, according to a statement from the Cathedral City Police Department.

Upon arrival, officers found Ricardo Gallardo of Cathedral City injured.

Gallardo was found with multiple stab wounds to his abdomen area.

Gallardo was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center in Palm Springs, where he died, Hanley said. A homicide investigation began and by August 2023, it was presented to the Riverside County District Attorney’s office.

One week after Ramirez’s arraignment, Judge Gregory J. Olson filed a declaration in support of the arrest warrant of co-defendant Edgar Navez of Desert Hot Springs, who was 31 at the time. Navez — still the subject of an active warrant — was scheduled to be charged with the same felony count and enhancement.

According to reports, an employee working at a business across the street heard the altercation and immediately called to check on his father, who was nearby, before checking security cameras and seeing two suspects running on Avenida Del Yermo, past his business, and toward Aliso Road.

The employee then walked out to the street to see what happened and saw a group of people surrounding Gallardo on the ground. He also reportedly saw a black phone on the sidewalk in front of the business where the two suspects were seen running.

CCPD staff reported finding an additional video from Palm Springs Pet Control, which caught the suspects chasing down, catching and attacking Gallardo before fleeing the scene. A search warrant for the phone determined it belonged to Navez.

In the cell phone, officers found a video that allegedly showed Ramirez driving a vehicle with Navez in the passenger seat eight minutes prior to the homicide, according to the statement. Other videos also allegedly showed Navez and Ramirez posing with handguns and flashing gang signs.

Ramirez was found and arrested Aug. 8 in Escondido, according to the statement. Navez, who is described as a 5-foot-10-inch man weighing 160 pounds with black hair and brown eyes, had a $1 million warrant for his arrest.

According to inmate records, Ramirez was booked into the Southwest Detention Center in Murrieta, where he remains held on $1 million bail.

City News Service contributed to this report.