Pretrial Hearing Tuesday for Accused Pasadena Triple Murderer

Accused triple murderer John Izeal Smith is scheduled to be in the Pasadena Courthouse Dept. C Tuesday for a pretrial hearing. Garrett Dameron, assigned to the Crimes Against Peace Officers Section in the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case.

Smith is accused of killing three people on July 12, 2013 in the 1700 block of Summit Avenue in Pasadena.

Pasadena Police records say officers responded to a reported shooting incident at about 4:20 p.m. The first officer on-scene observed a shooting victim lying on the sidewalk, and as he attempted to help the victim, Smith allegedly fired on the officer who had to retreat behind his vehicle.

It later turned out Smith had allegedly fired at five people before police arrived. Three of the victims died later and two were injured.

Luis Aguiar, 90, his daughter Maria Aguiar, 59, and Jose Hernandez Iribe, 29, were killed in the shooting, the District Attorney’s office said.

Smith allegedly fired more than 40 rounds of ammunition from a semiautomatic assault rifle. Police said some of the rounds struck the first responding police vehicle.

Eventually, Smith, who had barricaded himself at a home in the area, was convinced to surrender by a Pasadena police dispatcher and was arrested without force.

After a comprehensive investigation by Pasadena police detectives, the DA’s office filed several felony charges against Smith, including murder and attempted murder.

The charges were later amended to include three counts of murder, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of personally and intentionally discharging a firearm (rifle) causing great bodily injury and/or death, five counts of shooting into an inhabited dwelling, and possession of an assault weapon.

Police said the shooting apparently was connected to a landlord-tenant dispute.

Smith is currently being held without bail at the Los Angeles County Jail.