A man who authorities say is an outlaw biker and is accused in the ambush slaying of an Orange County Hell’s Angel member at a Riverside gas station is slated to be arraigned Friday, June 23, on murder and other charges.
Joshua Ryan Herbert, 27, of Corona, is accused of gunning down 31-year-old James Duty, of Orange, and trying to shoot one of the victim’s associates last month.
In addition to first-degree murder, Herbert is charged with attempted murder, a special circumstance allegation of killing for the benefit of a gang and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The defendant is being held without bail at the Robert Presley Detention Center in Riverside and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
According to Riverside police, Duty and four fellow Hells Angels bikers were fueling up at the Shell station in the 3500 block of Adams Street, just off of the 91 Freeway, about 10:30 p.m. May 21 when police say that Herbert and another person, who remains at large and has not been identified, drove by and opened fire.
Duty was struck multiple times, and a bullet grazed the helmet of another Hells Angels member, investigators said.
The assailants fled toward the freeway, eluding capture. Duty was transported to a hospital, where he died a short time later.
Working with the Anaheim Police Department, the California Highway Patrol, the Garden Grove Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department and other agencies, investigators determined that the Mongols motorcycle gang, with which the Hells Angels have long feuded, was responsible, according to Detective Jim Simons. He said enough evidence was amassed to justify search warrants earlier this week in Anaheim, Cathedral City, Corona, Garden Grove, Huntington Beach and Riverside.
Herbert, a documented Mongols member, was taken into custody without incident Wednesday at his residence on Monterey Peninsula Drive.
According to police, the handgun that killed the victim — as well as other firearms and various gang paraphernalia — was seized during the raids.
Herbert has no prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
Anyone with information that might help the investigation was asked to contact Simons at 951-353-7138.