Both Government Hill Murder Suspects Arraigned and Behind Bars

Sean Simeonoff and Kenya Berezkin have both been arraigned on Murder and Robbery charges in the execution style death of Jesus Oropeza. Image-APD
Sean Simeonoff and Kenya Berezkin have both been arraigned on Murder and Robbery charges in the execution style death of Jesus Oropeza. Image-APD

The second suspect, Kenya Berezkin, wanted for his involvement in the Government Hill shooting of Jesus Oropeza, was arraigned on Thursday, following his arrest on Wednesday, police report.

Berezkin was apprehended after police learned of his location. He was placed under arrest on Wednesday evening and charged with Murder I, Murder II, and Robbery I.

In court on Thursday, Berezkin had his bail set at $500,000, the same bail amount that his co-defendant, Sean Robert Samuel Simeonoff, had set.

19-year-old Jesus Oropeza was shot in the back execution-style as he lay on his stomach in the street, prosecutors said in court. It was revealed that the two suspects had called the victim earlier in the evening of January 21st, and then had gone to the victim’s residence to buy marijuana.

At around midnight, Jesus went out to meet the two suspects despite urgings by his father to stay home. A short time later, a surveillance camera in the area recorded the scene as Jesus talked to the suspects, then was forced down to the ground by the suspects. Footage showed one suspect rifling through Jesus’s clothing as the other suspect took out a gun. Then Jesus was shot in the back as he lay on the ground.

According to police, a woman reported to them after finding out about the incident and told police that she had driven the two suspects, and two other individuals to the intersection of Birch and Vine Street and waited for them to return.

In cooperation with police, that witness contacted Berezkin as police listened in. During the call, Berezkin told the witness to erase any text messages and to deny to police that she had taken them to that location on the night of the killing.

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Berezkin’s next court appearance is for a pre-indictment hearing scheduled for January 31st. Simeonoff is due back in court for a Rule Five Hearing on February 6th.[xyz-ihs snippet=”Adsense-responsive”]