The four men charged in the fatal beating of Santa Barbara store clerk George Ied were in court Friday with their defense attorneys, and a preliminary hearing setting has been scheduled for March 10.
Ied, 37, was attacked and left to die on the sidewalk while walking from his workplace, Mi Fiesta Liquor store on Milpas Street, to his home on Punta Gorda Street on Santa Barbara’s Lower Eastside.
He died a few days later after being placed on life support at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital. Police said Ied had no criminal history or gang affiliations.
Brothers Ismael and Miguel Parra, and Steven Santana and Michael Cardenas all face charges of murder with gang enhancement and committing a crime to benefit a criminal street gang. They are in custody at the Santa Barbara County Jail.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Hans Almgren is assigned to the case, and all four defendants pleaded not guilty at their arraignments.
— Noozhawk staff writer Giana Magnoli can be reached at gmagnoli@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk or @NoozhawkNews.