Man convicted of violent takeover of Banning cannabis store

A 24-year-old man who, along with his brother, was involved in a robbery of a cannabis store in Banning, in which two people were stabbed and another was almost shot, was today convicted of attempted murder and other offences.

After nearly a week of deliberations, a Riverside jury found Raymond Emilio Paul Matus of Beaumont guilty of the attempted murder, as well as robbery, assault with a deadly weapon and sentence-enhancing charges of using a deadly weapon in the commission of a crime. and causing great bodily harm.

Riverside County Superior Court Judge Steven Counelis has scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 12 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. Matus risks more than twelve years in prison.

He is being held without bail at Robert Presley Prison.

His older brother, Richard Matus Jr., died of fentanyl poisoning in 2022 at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. He was 29.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney’s Office, the defendants targeted the Go Green Calming Solutions marijuana store at 6020 Ramsey St. on the night of June 23, 2018.

The brothers burst into the outlet and the security guard, identified in documents as “JS,” immediately identified Richard Matus as a threat and physically contacted him.

According to the order, another employee, Daniel Tellez, came to the guard’s aid and they managed to wrestle a gun away from Richard Matus, causing it to fall to the ground.

Prosecutors said Raymond Matus went to help his older brother, stabbing Tellez in the left arm, prompting the man and the security guard to retreat to the back of the outlet.

Another employee, Thomas Harris, also attempted to subdue Richard Matus and prevent him from repossessing the gun. According to the prosecutor, “the suspect watched the struggle over the gun taking place … and stabbed Harris from behind.”

“(Raymond Matus) stabbed Harris eight to 10 times in an attempt to help his brother get out,” court papers said. “The defendant stabbed Harris even when his accomplice brother was back on his feet, and Harris no longer fought for release.” the rifle.”

A patron of the marijuana shop, Rafat Ali, heard the commotion from the parking lot, armed himself with a baseball bat and went inside to help the employees.

When he encountered Richard Matus with the firearm, Ali walked to the exit. Prosecutors allege shots were fired in the victim’s direction and he fell, but was not struck by gunfire.

“Ali suffered a cut to his chin because he fell, not because he was shot in the face,” the defense said.

The brothers initially fled the store without anything, but returned moments later and grabbed “three jars of marijuana and a backpack” from one of the employees, according to the complaint.

Tellez and Harris suffered non-life-threatening stab wounds for which they were treated at San Gorgonio Memorial Medical Center, where Ali was also treated for the cut on his chin, court papers said.

Within two days after investigators distributed surveillance photos of the attackers on social media, numerous people contacted police, confirming the men’s identities, documents show.

A week later, the couple was arrested without incident in San Diego.

Richard Matus had previous convictions for driving under the influence and traffic violation. His younger brother had a juvenile conviction for theft, court papers said.

The Matus family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department last year in connection with the death of Richard Matus, who reportedly suffered a massive myocardial infarction after smuggling an unspecified amount of fentanyl into his jail cell.

Prosecutors allege that staff responded inadequately and point to broader, systemic problems created by the sheriff, its administrators and the county, which paved the way for the loss of their loved one.