DNA led police to mansion murder suspects

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- The Santa Clara County District Attorney's released documents Friday that offer new details on the home invasion murder of Monte Sereno millionaire Raveesh Ravi Kumra.

Portions of the papers read like an episode of CSI. In them, county criminalists and Los Gatos crime scene technicians explain how and where they found DNA linking the three suspects being held for the murder of Kumra and offer details on the involvement of a 22-year-old prostitute.

Santa Clara County Deputy District Attorney Kevin Smith, who is prosecuting the case, said: "There is DNA for the three males charged with this murder. Their DNA was present at the scene of the murder if not on the body itself," he said.

He says the three suspects -- Lukis Anderson, Javier Garcia and Deangelo Austin -- are charged with murder while committing a robbery, which qualifies as special circumstances and a potential death penalty.

Smith says crime scene technicians and county criminalists found one suspect's DNA on tape that was used to bind Kumra and his wife. Another suspect's DNA was found underneath Kumra's fingernails. And the third suspect left behind a glove which contained his DNA. The evidence led to a quick arrest.

Smith says 22-year-old Raven Dixon, who has been charged as an accessory and is involved with prostitution, knew all three suspects. The suspects are members of Oakland gangs Ghost Town and Money Team.

"She absolutely has gang ties. While maybe not a member herself, she is involved with people who are in it. Her pimp is a member of Ghost Town, which is one of the two gangs in Oakland that have united to commit these types of home invasion robberies," Smith said.

Smith says Dixon is also childhood friends with women whose brothers are gang members. This evidence flies in the face of what Dixon, through her attorney Denise Zingale, claimed Wednesday.

Zingale claims that Dixon does not know the suspects and consequently could not have harbored them.

While the district attorney wants to try all four together, Zingale has been trying to separate Dixon's charge of accessory to murder in the case from the other three suspects on the claim of Dixon not knowing them.

A judge will decide on February 14 whether prosecutors can tie all four together in one case. Prosecutors are also expected to ask for a gang enhancement. All four suspects are expected to enter a plea on that day.

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monte sereno, crime, home invasion, murder, oakland, gang violence, south bay news

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