Merced man to face trial in Loughborough murder case, second suspect still at large

A Merced man accused of killing a 37-year-old man outside the victim’s Loughborough Drive home in December has been ordered by a Merced County judge to stand trial for murder.

Judge Carol Ash on Friday determined there was ample evidence to try Jose Fabian Zarate, 39, for the fatal shooting of Christopher Reyes.

Based on the evidence presented by law enforcement, Ash said she believes Zarate premeditated the attack on Reyes along with his friend Augustine Singh, who is believed to be the shooter.

Singh, who has a $1.8 million arrest warrant, hadn’t yet been apprehended, according to Merced Police Sgt. Rey Alvarez.

Officers found Reyes lying on the ground with several gunshot wounds shortly after midnight on Dec. 22 in the 1200 block of Loughborough Drive, police said.

Detectives believe Singh, Zarate and two individuals, identified in investigation reports as Reyes’ girlfriend and another woman, arrived at Reyes’ home the night of Dec. 21. An argument between Singh and Reyes started and continued from the second floor of the residence to outside the home.

That’s when shots rang out before Zarate drove the four visitors away from the scene.

Zarate’s attorney, Chris Loethen, argued on Friday that Zarate shouldn’t be charged with first degree murder.

“You could say he was there by association,” Loethen said. “But there is no reason to believe he knew (Singh would shoot Reyes).”

But Ash disagreed.

“To me, it seems (they all) planned it together,” she said, adding that expert testimony and evidence showed there was probable cause Zarate committed murder.

Zarate, who has pleaded not guilty, remains in custody at the Merced County Jail and is expected to appear in court on March 6.

This story was originally published February 22, 2019 at 4:52 PM.