CHINO, Calif. — Two brothers were convicted of murdering a groom on his wedding day in 2019 in Chino, California, officials say.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said Rony and Josue Castaneda were both found guilty of the second-degree murder of Joe Melgoza. They were also found guilty of assault with a deadly weapon for injuring the bride’s brother, Juan Bustamonte.
In the early morning of Dec. 15, 2019, hours after Joe and Esther Melgoza were married, Rony and Josue Castaneda showed up uninvited at the wedding reception at the family house, according to KTLA.
The district attorney’s office said that the brothers were seen socializing, dancing, and taking photos with some of the guests at the reception. When it was over, the brothers left but then came back with baseball bats, KTLA reported.
Officials said the brothers provoked Melgoza and his family to jump over the fence and once they did, they were attacked with baseball bats and fists, according to KTLA.
The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said that one of the family members was able to get the bat away from one of the brothers who ran into another house in the area. Melgoza followed them. Minutes afterward, the brothers were seen jumping the fence with one bat which was never recovered.
Officials say the Chino Police Department responded to the incident and helped with an injured family member. They said they found Melgoza dead in the yard where the brothers were last seen.
Melgoza died from blunt force trauma to his head and died minutes after the beating, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said.
Josue Castaneda denied attending the reception, KTLA reported. However, police found a photo of the two brothers and a woman from a photo booth at the event. Chino Police Department found Snapchat information that also tied the brothers to the reception.
“I commend my colleagues’ dedication to this case and determination to seek justice for a family who endured such unimaginable grief during a time that should be filled (with) love and happiness. Although this conviction can never undo the pain caused by two individual’s actions, I hope it brings a measure of closure to the wife and loved ones of Joe Melgoza,” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said.
Josue and Rony Casaneda are expected to be sentenced on March 13, 2023, the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said.