High Profile Pasadena Murder Cases to be Heard Today

Two high-profile murder cases are scheduled for hearings today, Tuesday, October 31, at the Pasadena Courthouse located in the downtown Civic Center.

Ronald Anthony Jones Case At 8:30 a.m., a pretrial hearing is scheduled for Ronald Anthony Jones. Jones was initially sentenced to death for the 1988 kidnapping, rape, and shooting death of Lois Anne Haro, who had been shopping at a Pasadena mall. The crime occurred on the evening of October 18, 1988. Haro was later found lying in the dirt bordering an isolated road in Pasadena and died on the way to the hospital due to a gunshot wound to the head. Jones was convicted on several counts, including murder, kidnapping for the purpose of robbery, second-degree robbery, forcible rape while acting in concert, and forcible oral copulation. However, a federal judge subsequently vacated his conviction. The hearing is scheduled for Dept. C in the Pasadena Courthouse.

David Lamont Hunt-Cooks and Brittney Chenise Ruth Case Also at 8:30 a.m., a pretrial hearing is scheduled for David Lamont Hunt-Cooks and Brittney Chenise Ruth. Both are charged with the shooting death of 22-year-old Martrell Eric Robinson which occurred on October 30, 2022, in Pasadena. Robinson was found unresponsive shortly before 1:30 a.m., suffering from a gunshot wound and was pronounced dead at the scene. Following an extensive investigation by the Pasadena Police Department’s Robbery/Homicide Unit, multiple suspects connected to a local criminal street gang were identified. On January 9, 2023, Hunt-Cooks and Ruth were arrested in Pomona with assistance from the U.S. Marshal’s Pacific Southwest Fugitive Apprehension Taskforce. The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office filed one felony count of homicide against each suspect on January 11, 2023. The hearing is scheduled for Dept. B in the Pasadena Courthouse.