A judge denied a request at a hearing Friday to set bond for two men charged in the shooting death of University of Kentucky student Jonathan Krueger in April.
Fayette Circuit Judge Ernesto Scorsone also refused to reduce the $1 million bond for 18 year-old Roman Gonzalez, a third man charged in the death.
At the hearing, Lexington police Detective Reid Bowles said the three men, 19 year-old Justin Delone Smith, 21 year-old Efrain Diaz and Gonzalez, are known to be members of the Ambrose gang.
Additionally, Bowles testified that a witness told police the three had talked about wanting to commit robberies and had tried to rob two others before crossing paths with Krueger and another student, Aaron Gillette.
The men and two juvenile girls had been traveling in a maroon-colored van, which first followed a female UK student from a Kroger to her apartment near campus. Gonzalez jumped out to rob the woman but wasn’t quick enough to make contact, according to the witness.
Gonzalez also later tried to carjack a Mustang at a stoplight near the university but the light changed before he was able to do so. Diaz and others told police they had been drinking that night, which police confirmed with surveillance footage showing them buying alcohol.
Krueger and Gillette, who had been out drinking and getting dinner, flagged the van down around 2 a.m., waving their arms when they noticed it was going the wrong direction on Maxwell Street, a one-way street, near Transylvania Park.
Bowles said T\the van pulled into a driveway and turned toward the students, then two of the men popped out of both sides of the van armed with handguns.
Gillette told police he gave his assailant his watch and cash he had on him, and Krueger did the same.
Police later found the watch in Smith’s bedroom in the basement of his mother’s house. Forensic testing revealed most of the DNA on the watch was Gillette’s.
Gillette said he then overpowered his assailant, forcing up the man’s gun hand. The robber fired a shot into the air as Gillette shoved him into the minivan.
Gillette ran to get help and called police as Krueger was shot and killed.
Assistant Fayette County Commonwealth’s Attorney Andrea Williams told the judge the three were dangerous to the community and had cut off ankle monitors in the past.
Williams told the court the death penalty will be an option for Smith and Diaz. Because Gonzalez was 17 at the time of the shooting, he would not be eligible for the death penalty.
The three remain lodged in the Fayette County jail. They will be back in court in March.
Source: LHL
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