LOS ANGELES (CN) — Marcos Navarro, the man charged with the murder of two brothers in the Exposition Park neighborhood, appeared in a downtown LA courtroom for the first time Wednesday. He did not enter a plea.
Sergio Rios, Jr., 33, and his 19-year-old brother Ricardo Rios were sitting in their car outside their home on June 1. According to LA County District Attorney George Gascon, they got out of the vehicle to have a brief conversation with the suspect, who then shot them both with a 9mm handgun. Sergio Rios died at the scene; Ricardo Rios died later in the hospital.
Navarro, 33, was charged with the double murder nine days later and was held on $5 million bond.
Little is known about the reason the two brothers were killed, though their cousin, Ivan Robles, said it was not a gang-related shooting.
"There's definitely an issue with guns in this country," Robles said. "It’s a nightmare that we’re all living through right now."
Nearly 50 friends and family members of the two brothers appeared in court on Wednesday for what was scheduled to be Navarro's arraignment. Many wore t-shits with photographs of the deceased on them.
Sergio Rios was the father of two twin toddlers, Eliana and Alex. An online fundraiser to support their mother has raised more than $75,000.
Both brothers were graphic designers and skateboarders, Robles said.
"They were loved," he said. "They were natives to LA. They left a long-lasting impression on a lot of people."
"They were inseparable," he added. "They adapted to any situation they were in."
A television news crew requested to film Wednesday's proceeding, but Navarro's attorney, a public defender, objected to having his client's face shown on camera.
Friends and family of the victims were upset by the ruling; one, in court, muttered, "bullshit."
"It's really upsetting that we can’t show his photo right now," Robles said.
If convicted, Navarro faces a maximum sentence of 70 years to life in prison. His arraignment is now scheduled for August 30.
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