LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Three Oakland teens have been charged with murder and other crimes in connection with the attempted robbery of a Bel Air fitness influencer couple after they returned home, the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.
Temecula-based gym chain founder and fitness influencer Miguel Aguilar remains in critical condition after being shot in the head by a robber during a Sept. 13 robbery. Los Angeles police said four armed men approached Aguilar and his wife in their driveway and fired shots, killing one of the robbers.
Jason Melara, Damoney Johnson and Maki Taylor, all 19, were charged Friday afternoon in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom with charges of murder, second-degree robbery and shooting into an occupied motor vehicle. They were scheduled to be arraigned on two charges each. second-degree robbery and attempted assault with a semi-automatic weapon.
Taylor also faces an additional charge of attempted murder.
All three are also suspected of personally using a handgun, and Taylor faces an additional charge of personally causing serious bodily injury, according to the criminal complaint.
The most serious charge stems from an attempted get-home robbery on Sept. 13 in the 11400 block of North Thurston Circle near Sunset Boulevard and the San Diego Freeway (405). Multiple armed suspects reportedly demanded property from Mr. Aguilar and were after his luxury watch.
One of the robbers shot Aguilar in the head and then fled the scene with other suspects in a waiting vehicle, authorities said.
Aguilar is the owner and founder of Self Made Training Facility, a franchise with more than 25 stores and more than 50,000 followers on Instagram, FOX 11 reports.
Police said one of the suspects, Mario Melara, was seriously injured in the robbery and shooting and later died at a hospital. It is unclear whether Melara, who is believed to be Jason Melara’s younger brother, was injured by the victim or another suspect.
One of the second-degree robbery and assault charges against the three defendants stems from a Sept. 12 holdup of the alleged victim, identified in the complaint only as “John Doe No. 1.” It emanates from the beginning.
Investigators eventually located Jason Melara, Johnson, and Taylor in Northern California, where they arrested them.
They have remained locked up in prison ever since, according to prison records.
City News Service and Patch staffer Paige Austin contributed to this report.
