Murder suspects’ arraignment postponed

Published 2:15 pm Wednesday, October 15, 2008

The arraignment of five people accused of slaying five men found in a north Shelby County apartment has been postponed.

Alejandros Castaneda, 31, Juan Francisco Castaneda, 25, Christopher Scott Jones, 40, Jaime Duenas-Rodriguez, 22 and Derrick Renone Green, 32, will be arraigned Nov. 3 on capital murder charges, according to the Shelby County district attorney’s office.

The five were indicted by a grand jury last month, and are being held at the Shelby County Jail without bond.

The victims — Angel Horacio Vega-Gonzalez, 23, Gustavo Vega-Gonzalez, 24, Ezequiel Rebollar-Terevan, 23, Jaime Echeverra, 30 and Armando Ibarra Mendoza, 31 —were found dead Aug. 20 at Cahaba Lakes apartments off U.S. 280 with their throats slashed. The victims also were beaten and electrocuted.

Authorities said the slayings were revenge killings for more than $400,000 in drug money.