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Law
Pechanga man on trial for meth-related crime


A member of the Pechanga Band of Luiseno Indians is on trial for crimes he allegedly committed while high on methamphetamine.

Joseph Anthony Barrientos, 27, was speeding when he allegedly hit a family on a street. Pedro Romero, 11, and his grandmother, Martha Romero, 56, were killed.

Barrientos fled the scene of the accident and led police on a multiple-car chase. When he finally arrested, toxicology tests showed he was extremely intoxicated with meth, a prosecutor said.

Among other crimes, Barrientos is charged with second-degree murder. He is expected to take the stand.

Get the Story:
Witness: I was screaming, 'Stop, don't go' (The Riverside Press-Enterprise 10/27)
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