Brawley murder case delayed; suspects to be tried together following co-defendant’s extradition

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA) — Genaro Lemus, 23, returned to an El Centro courtroom for his third pre-trial conference. Lemus faces first-degree murder charges in connection with the shooting death of 43-year-old Steven Angulo earlier this year.

The preliminary hearing for Lemus has been postponed yet again as his legal team navigates severe delays in receiving critical discovery documents, including missing state autopsy reports.

Defense Attorney Veronica Henderson noted that the gravity of the case requires a meticulous review of all incoming files, a process severely bottlenecked by state administrative timelines.

"Given the nature of the charges, we’re just gonna have to wait a bit longer," Henderson said, adding that her client is experiencing growing frustration with the lack of horizontal movement in the case. "It's not necessarily the fault of any attorney... it just isn't there. California autopsies take forever."

The timeline has been further complicated by recent enforcement actions. Sheriff's deputies successfully extradited a second suspect in the case, identified as Nathan Matthew Garnica.

During the latest proceedings, the judge granted a motion to consolidate the legal tracks, agreeing to hear both Lemus and Garnica’s cases together moving forward. The addition of the co-defendant introduces new legal angles that the defense must now actively investigate.

"It took a long time for the second defendant to be brought to our court and I have to look at that angle also," Henderson stated.

Lemus remains held in custody behind bars on a no-bail status pending further judicial determinations.

Both Lemus and Garnica are scheduled to appear back in court together on July 8.