Three Defendants Remain in Monte Sereno Murder Case

The three defendants that remain in the high-profile Nov. 30, 2012 Monte Sereno murder case of former Mountain Winery owner Raveesh "Ravi" Kumra are due back in court at 1:30 p.m. Sept. 17.

The hearing in Department 39 of the San Jose Hall of Justice, according to Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Kevin Smith, is to provide Superior Court Judge Sharon Chatman a status of the discovery on the case and discuss the possibility of setting a date for a preliminary hearing.

"Nothing has really happened in the last month," Smith told Los Gatos Patch Friday when asked about the case's status.

Two defendants, Lukis Anderson, 26, a transient; and Raven Dixon, 23, of Alameda; were dropped from the case in May and June, respectively.

Charges against Anderson were dismissed because he had an alibi that he was being treated for severe alcohol intoxication at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center before, during and after the murder, according to Smith.

Dixon pleaded guilty to prostitution and furnishing drug charges in an unrelated case as well as an allegation that she did those for the benefit of a street gang and the two accessory to murder charges against here were dismissed, Smith said.

Prosecutors believed she had provided information to others alleged to have been involved in the murder, but Smith said the DA's Office didn't have enough evidence to prove those charges.

However, the three other suspects in the case—Javier Garcia, 21, of Oakland; Deangelo Austin, 21, of Sacramento and Katrina Fritz, 32, of Pittsburg—are charged in the murder and robbery of Kumra and may face the death penalty, Smith said. Austin and Fritz are brother and sister.

"We have both physical evidence as well as cell phone (records) and other evidence against all the defendants," Smith said, adding that his office is still looking for additional suspects.

Kumra, 66, was found dead inside his residence in the 18000 block of Withey Road near Beck Avenue on Nov. 30 after police received a call at about 1:30 a.m. from his wife that a burglar had ransacked their home.

Kumra's wife was treated for injuries that were not considered life-threatening after the invasion.He died from asphyxiation after he was bound and gagged during the home invasion/robbery of cash and valuables, according to Smith.