murdered

Slaying suspects charged as adults
Public defender appointed for teens who face life in prison if convicted in Saludes-Smith killing

By LORI A. CARTER
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Two teenagers were arraigned as adults on murder and gang charges Thursday in Superior Court in connection with the Sept. 29 slaying of a 19-year-old Santa Rosa man.

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Jesse Morales, 17, and Axel Diaz Higuerida, who turned 17 on Thursday, are being held without bail at Juvenile Hall.

They could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of the death of Andrew Saludes-Smith, who was shot in the chest at a friend's apartment complex in southeast Santa Rosa. Police said friends drove him to Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where he died.

During a brief court appearance, Judge Ken Gnoss appointed the public defender to represent the defendants and set an Oct. 18 hearing for entry of pleas.

The small courtroom was filled with relatives and friends of Saludes-Smith, some of whom craned their necks to get a better look at the two defendants as their names were read aloud in court.

Neither young man appeared to react to seeing the family of the man the two are suspected of killing.

Both have closely-cropped hair and sparse mustaches. They wore the green Juvenile Hall jumpsuit uniform and had their wrists shackled at their waists.

Santa Rosa police said Morales was arrested Friday on suspicion of a probation violation and Higuerida was arrested after a traffic stop Saturday in Napa. Police said both suspects are gang members but wouldn't say who they think fired the shot or discuss any possible motives for the slaying.

Morales was charged with murder, plus allegations of gang activity and possession of a concealed weapon. Higuerida faces murder and gang charges.

Saludes-Smith was a grandson of Bony Saludes, a former Press Democrat reporter. Gnoss said Thursday that he knows Saludes but didn't feel it would be a conflict to preside over the case. Neither defense attorney objected to Gnoss' participation.

Gnoss refused to allow a news photographer in court, citing concerns about contaminating the jury pool.

You can reach Staff Writer Lori A. Carter at 568-5312 or lori.carter@pressdemocrat.com.