MURRIETA - A parolee and two juveniles accused of killing a 16- year-old East Hemet boy during a robbery were charged today with first-degree murder.

Francisco Roy Zavala, 20, of Hemet, Francisco Siordia, 17, of San Jacinto and Joseph Venegas, 15, of Hemet are accused in the Jan. 14 slaying of Eric Ronald Sargeant Jr.

The defendants, all in custody and being held without bail, are slated to make their initial court appearance this afternoon at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta.

They're each facing a special circumstance allegation of killing during the commission of a robbery. That could make Zavala eligible for the death penalty if he's convicted.

The District Attorney's Office is prosecuting Siordia and Venegas as adults, but because of their ages, they would not face capital punishment if found guilty.

The vitim was fatally Advertisement

[ The Tutoring Center ] stabbed near the intersection of Acacia Avenue and Cherrywood Drive, not far from his home.

The boy was walking in the neighborhood around 5 p.m. when he was confronted by three to four males, who demanded he hand over his mobile phone, witnesses told sheriff's deputies. The teen was attacked when he refused to comply, with Zavala allegedly stabbing him multiple times, according to investigators.

The victim was airlifted to a hospital to undergo surgery, but succumbed to his injuries five hours after the attack.

His assailants fled through a vacant field and disappeared from sight, but all were arrested within three days.

According to court records, Zavala has a 2011 conviction for burglary and a 2010 conviction for vandalism. Two weeks after he was sentenced to probation for the latter crime, he committed the burglary, records show.