Man charged with murder begins trial in Sutter County

Suspect is charged in shooting death of Live Oak resident

The trial of a Gridley man for a May shooting death got underway Tuesday with jury selection.

Jury selection is expected to last up to a few days, according to a spokesperson for the Sutter County District Attorney’s office. Associate Sutter County District Attorney Diego Heimlich will be prosecuting Jesus E. Perez for the murder.

According to Appeal-democrat records, Perez, 39, was arrested May 25 on suspicion of murdering 61-year-old Paramjit Singh Randhawa, Live Oak, who was found shot in the head in an orchard near the 11000 block of Myers Road.

Perez was first arrested the day of the murder when a 911 caller reported seeing a blue Honda near where the shooting occurred. A Sutter County sheriff’s deputy located the car and there was a short pursuit before Perez was arrested for evading an officer and felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm.

The 911 caller, Shannon M. Johnson was arrested July 19 for withholding information from police and lying about the murder. Johnson, 38, was booked in Sutter County Jail for accessory after the fact.

Perez, who at the time had been in Sutter County Jail since May for evading and being a felon in possession of ammunition and a firearm was then charged with first degree murder.

The only known relationship between the suspect and victim is that Perez would stay with his girlfriend, Johnson, who lived on the property where Randhawa worked, according to Appeal-democrat records.