Steven Carrillo and Joseph Keeler preliminary hearings pushed to March

SANTA CRUZ >> Steven Carrillo and Joseph Keeler, both facing federal charges for alleged killings this year, will return to court in March as their preliminary hearings were delayed Friday, according to the Santa Cruz County Superior Court portal.

Attorneys predicted the preliminary hearing for Steven Carrillo, the suspect in the June 6 fatal shooting of Santa Cruz County Deputy Sgt. Damon Gutzwiller, would be pushed back until early 2021 because of another ongoing federal case Carrillo was involved in — the case around the murder of Federal Protective Services officer David Patrick Underwood in Oakland on May 29. Carrillo, a 32-year- old resident of

Ben Lomond, is suspected of being an accomplice of 30-year- old Robert Justus Jr. of Millbrae.

Authorities claim that Carrillo and Justus met through a Facebook group associated with the anti-extremist, anti- government Boogaloo movement. At the time of both killings, Carrillo was a sergeant with the U.S. Air Force based at Travis Air Force Base.

In a borrowed courtroom space in Alameda County on Aug. 27, Carrillo pleaded not guilty to 19 charges. These charges included murder, six counts of attempted murder, use of explosives, attempted use of explosive, carjacking, two attempted carjackings, assaulting a firefighter, possession of an unregistered, concealed and loaded firearm, two counts of possession of bomb-making materials and two counts of possession of an explosive device.

Appearing before Judge Paul Burdick, Carrillo’s public defense attorneys Lawrence Biggam and Mark Briscoe denied the charges in the capital offense case. Because of the allegations in the Underwood case, Carrillo faces federal and state charges of murdering a peace officer. If Carrillo is convicted of Gutzwiller’s or Underwood’s deaths, he could face his own death sentence.

Carrillo was present during his hearing Friday afternoon and will return to court March 18.

Keeler, a 28- year- old Wat sonv i l le r e sident , charged with the murder of his own brother, was not present for his hearing Friday morning. Keeler’s preliminary hearing has been delayed eight times.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to the Keeler home on Green Valley Road the morning of Jan. 3 and discovered that Keeler’s 26-year- old brother Christopher had died after being stabbed. They classified it a homicide as the man died from hemorrhagic shock. Deputies said the brothers, who lived together, were fighting during the stabbing but the motive was unknown at the time. A knife with a 6-inch blade was recovered.

Keeler faces four felony charges and one enhancement. On Jan. 23, Keeler pleaded not guilty to murder and use of a deadly/ dangerous weapon. On June 6, in a continued plea, Keeler pleaded not guilty to possession of more than 600 images of child pornography.

Keeler will return to court March 1.