The Monterey County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday that it will not file charges against an 18-year-old Greenfield man arrested in connection with the Nov. 2 shooting on Jetty Road in Moss Landing that left two teenagers dead.
District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni said there is insufficient evidence at this time to charge Donald William Breeden, who was arrested last week on suspicion of two counts of murder with criminal street gang enhancements.
The shooting occurred around 1:48am during a party attended by dozens of juveniles and young adults, some of whom were associated with Norteño gangs from Salinas and Greenfield, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
The victims, 13-year-old Nathaniel Flores and 15-year-old Marco Antonio Perez, both of Salinas, were killed in the shooting. A young adult from Greenfield was shot twice and survived.
According to prosecutors, the confrontation began as a verbal dispute between the two groups over allegations of theft, vandalism and threats of violence by members of the Salinas group.
Investigators corroborated some of those allegations, including a witness account that someone from the Salinas group had stolen necklaces from female partygoers. Deputies later found multiple gold necklaces in that person’s backpack.
The argument escalated, with witnesses reporting that members of both groups exchanged gang-related insults.
Some witnesses said people on both sides displayed firearms or held their waistbands as though they were armed.
But investigators have been unable to determine who fired the first shots.
“Some of those present said the Salinas group shot first, while others said the Greenfield group shot first,” the District Attorney’s Office stated.
Investigators recovered 21 shell casings from the scene, fired from at least two guns. No firearms have been recovered, and forensic analysis is pending.
Prosecutors also noted that the shooting occurred in darkness and that many witnesses were underage, intoxicated or involved in the confrontation.
The two teenagers who died were shot seven and five times, respectively.
Under California law, prosecutors must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a defendant did not act in lawful self-defense once the issue is raised.
“At this time there is insufficient evidence to prove that Donald Breeden did not fire in self-defense,” the District Attorney’s Office stated.
Breeden was arrested after Monterey County Sheriff’s detectives, assisted by the Sheriff’s Office SWAT Team, Monterey Peninsula Special Response Unit and California State Parks, executed search warrants Nov. 5 in Greenfield and King City.
The first warrant was served on the 900 block of Maple Avenue in Greenfield, where three people were detained. A second warrant was served on the 45000 block of Crown Avenue in King City.
Breeden was subsequently booked into Monterey County Jail, with bail set at $2.035 million.
The District Attorney’s announcement does not rule out charges if additional evidence emerges.
The investigation remains ongoing.
Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Detective Richard Geng at 831-.759.7279.
