Two Men Arraigned in Market Robbery in Salton Sea Community
Last updated 9/24/2015 at 2:20pm
Two men pleaded not guilty to charges involving their alleged roles in a violent armed robbery at a market on March 13 in the Salton Sea community of North Shore. Jacob Lee Couie of North Shore is charged with two counts of robbery and assault with a deadly weapon (baseball bat) causing great bodily injury. Rafael Isais Murua, a documented Mecca gang member is charged with two counts of armed robbery and being an accessory after the fact. Couie and Murua face several sentence-enhancing allegations, including a claim that the crime was committed for the benefit of a street gang. The two are scheduled to appear in court again on November 5 for a trial-readiness conference and are being held in the Riverside County jail in Indio.