Surviving suspect in Chino Hills kidnap-murder case pleads not guilty in 1st court appearance
CHINO HILLS, Calif. (KABC) — The surviving suspect in the kidnapping and killing of a Chino Hills man made his first court appearance on Tuesday morning.
Jianquan Bo, 66, pleaded not guilty in a Rancho Cucamonga courtroom for his involvement in the deadly incident last week. He is facing a murder charge, even though investigators say it was his older brother who fatally shot the victim, identified as 60-year-old Shukur Aikebaer, in front of San Bernardino County deputies.
Jianquan Bo wore an orange jumpsuit and handcuffs as he entered his plea. He is being held without bail.
Authorities have not released many details about a possible motive, but Eyewitness News has learned Jianquan Bo’s brother and Aikebaer were locked in a legal battle over control of a multi-million dollar apartment complex.
SEE ALSO: Surviving suspect in Chino Hills kidnapping-murder case charged
A murder charge was filed Monday against the surviving suspect in the kidnapping and killing of a Chino Hills man, according to officials.
Details on Chino Hills kidnapping-murder case
According to the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Aikebaer was shot and kidnapped last week by his business partner.
The suspect, identified as 67-year-old Zhengfeng Bo, led deputies on a short pursuit before getting out of the vehicle and once again opening fire on Aikebaer, investigators said.
Deputies then shot and killed Zhengfeng Bo. Jianquan Bo was the passenger in the car and was arrested and charged.
A murder charge was filed Monday against the surviving suspect in the kidnapping and killing of a Chino Hills man, according to officials.
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“One of the things that can be confusing to the public is… how can the passenger who gets out of the car be charged with murder?” San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson said during a press conference on Monday. “That’s the concept and the theory of felony murder. Because of the kidnapping being inherently dangerous, we allege that [Jianquan Bo] knew exactly what the plan was when they went to the victim’s home. What was going to be done, participated in, what led up to the death of Mr. Shukur, and that’s why we file murder charges against the surviving suspect.”
Officials also said a special circumstance allegation was filed, alleging the killing occurred during a kidnapping. Authorities said that could leave open the possibility of the case being pursued as a death penalty case.
“This was a calculated act of violence, and from the onset, deputies and detectives approached the investigation with urgency, precision and determination,” said San Bernardino County Sheriff Shannon Dicus.
How did the kidnapping and deadly shooting unfold?
The deadly incident unfolded on Wednesday night after the power to Aikebaer’s home went out on Monteverde Drive. When he went outside to inspect his electrical panel, he was shot and kidnapped by the suspects, according to the sheriff’s department.
Investigators are looking into the possibility that the victim’s power was purposely turned off as a ruse to get him outside.
Deputies responded to a report of shots fired and a person yelling for help at the location. The deputies arrived at the scene and spotted Zhengfeng Bo driving a Nissan Altima, then attempted a traffic stop.
Zhengfeng Bo failed to yield, and that’s when a short chase began, authorities said. The Nissan eventually stopped on nearby Wandering Ridge Drive.
A surveillance camera at the scene captured what happened after deputies pulled over the Nissan.
In the footage, according to the sheriff’s department, Jianquan Bo gets out of the car with his arms in the air. Zhengfeng Bo also gets out, walks to the trunk of the vehicle, opens it, and shoots Aikebaer execution-style before deputies open fire.
When deputies moved in, they discovered Aikebaer inside the trunk.
Both Zhengfeng Bo and Aikebaer were pronounced dead at the scene.
According to a GoFundMe page created by his family, Aikebaer was a husband and father of three daughters.
Victim and suspect were described as business associates
Eyewitness News has obtained business records showing Zhengfeng Bo and Aikebaer as having roles together in at least two LLCs. Both companies are involved in lawsuits filed this year, including one lawsuit filed last week.
Zhengfeng Bo’s attorney told Eyewitness News the controversy involves a $20 million apartment complex in Pasadena. According to the attorney, Zhengfeng Bo is suing the former managers of the complex, whom he claims are not allowing him to take control of the property.
“Obviously, there’s been some type of dispute, perhaps either decision-making within the business, or some kind of financial loss that led to a dispute,” Anderson said.
Zhengfeng Bo’s attorney said that although Aikebaer’s name is not listed in either lawsuit, he described him as “a middleman,” saying he believes the victim introduced the suspect to the person with whom he had the dispute.
