People v. Castaneda CA4/1

I.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Josue and Rony are brothers who lived together in a residential section of Chino. Their house was on Chino Avenue near the head of a horse trail that runs along the rear of a property owned by Sandy. On December 14, 2019, Sandy hosted a wedding reception in her backyard for her sister, Esther, and brother-in-law, Joe. The guests numbered between 250 and 300. Josue and Rony went to the party even though they were not invited and spent several hours there drinking, dancing, and conversing with guests. Police arrived at 11:45 p.m. to end the reception because of the noise. Josue and Rony lingered at the bar with Joe and Sandy’s uncle, Jose, until Sandy told them to leave, and then departed through a gate that led to the horse trail.

We follow the parties’ practice of referring to appellants, victims, and witnesses by their first names instead of last names for clarity because there are common surnames among the group. 2 At approximately 2:20 a.m. on December 15, 2019, Sandy, Jose, and Joe walked to the back of the yard to lock the gate. Sandy’s brother Juan followed them. As Sandy glanced at the horse trail, she saw Rony and Josue approaching. They said…