Hearing to join homicide cases delayed

The hearing that could join the cases of two men accused of a Hoopa homicide was rescheduled Monday.

Daniel Armendariz and Bronson Lewis are accused of killing Julius Tripp, 42, in 2020, when the two were in their late teens.

The charges against both suspects stem from a series of alleged events July 19 and 20, 2020, when Armendariz, Lewis and a group of other teenagers encountered Tripp’s vehicle on the side of the road late at night.

The prosecution, represented by Deputy District Attorney Trent Timm, alleges Armendariz and Lewis got into a fight with Tripp near the 17.87 marker on state Route 96, resulting in the two attacking Tripp with a knife, leaving the scene to grab a firearm before returning to where Tripp was injured off the road to kill him.

The two cases are separate because Armendariz was arrested after Lewis and needed to go through a preliminary hearing to determine whether there was enough evidence for a trial.

Judge Kaleb Cockrum ruled that Armendariz could receive a trial on both counts: murder and conspiracy to commit a crime.

The hearing was rescheduled to 8:30 a.m. May 31 because Armendariz’s defense, Conflict Counsel Meagan O’Connell, had just filed her opposition to joining the cases. The prosecution needed more time to go over the opposition and prepare to argue against it.

Lewis is represented by defense attorney Russell Clanton, who is also opposing marrying the two cases.

This is the second continuance for this hearing, which was supposed to proceed last week. Both defense attorneys were unable to attend, causing the hearing to be pushed to this week.

Both Armendariz and Lewis were present for the proceedings and are being held at the Humboldt County jail.