Four Oakland men, one now deceased, have been identified in connection with the murder of a Los Angeles fitness influencer after a judge ruled last week that the three surviving members of the alleged robbery crew will stand trial on charges of robbery, assault and murder.
The attempted armed robbery occurred on Sept. 13, 2024, after four men, identified as Jason Melara, Mario Melara, Daymonee Johnson and Mahki Taylor, spotted Miguel Aguilar and his wife eating lunch at Bossa Nova in West Hollywood, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.
Aguilar, 43, founder of the Self Made Training Facility gym chain, and his wife left the restaurant in his 1959 Chevrolet Impala and headed to their Bel-Air home, unaware they were being followed by a gray Acura sedan carrying the alleged robbery crew.
At a preliminary hearing on July 7, prosecutors said the four men had traveled from Oakland to Los Angeles for the “express purpose” of committing robberies, the Los Angeles Times reported. The men are also accused of stealing a diamond bracelet and necklace from another victim the day before.
Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s home captured the gray Acura trailing the Impala in the 11400 block of Thurston Circle, where the couple lived.
Aguilar’s wife told detectives she saw four or five masked men rush into their driveway and demand both of their watches. LAPD Detective Frank Flores testified that Aguilar, who had a concealed carry permit, drew his gun.
Flores said Aguilar’s wife was unsure who fired first, but her husband got off a single round before he was shot in the neck and the attackers fled.
Additional evidence presented at the preliminary hearing showed the Acura ran a red light in Culver City and crashed into an oncoming motorist in a hospital parking lot. Two of the suspects dragged Mario Melara, who had been shot in the back, into an emergency room before fleeing on foot, the Times reported.
Mario Melara was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
A month later, LAPD detectives arrested Jason Melara, Mario’s younger brother, along with Johnson and Taylor in Oakland.
Aguilar was rushed to the hospital after the attempted robbery and survived for three months before succumbing to his injuries on Dec. 21, 2024. Before his death, he had gained a large social media following, sharing his journey of overcoming poverty and addiction before founding his chain of gyms.
Prosecutors with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office charged the three surviving suspects with Aguilar’s murder, as well as with Mario Melara’s death, alleging his death was a result of the attempted armed robbery.
At Tuesday’s hearing, an attorney for Jason Melara argued the murder charges should be dismissed because there was no evidence his client pointed a gun at Aguilar. Taylor, according to The Times, allegedly told a police informant in the Berkeley city jail that he fired the shot that killed Aguilar, but only after they were shot at.
The judge rejected the defense argument and ruled there was sufficient evidence for Melara, Taylor and Johnson to stand trial on charges of murder, assault and robbery.
