The victim, Melvin Orellana-Monge, was killed in February 2019 by three shooters, but only two suspects have been charged.
OAKLAND — Two men have pleaded no contest to violent felonies to settle a murder case they have been fighting while in custody since 2019, court records show.
Dylan Hyche, 32, pleaded no contest to voluntary manslaughter in exchange for an 11-year prison term, while his co-defendant, 35-year-old Maury Rice, pleaded no contest to attempted murder for a six-year prison sentence. With credit for time served, Rice has already completed his sentence while in jail awaiting a resolution in his case, according to court records.
The victim of the homicide, Melvin Orellana-Monge, was shot by three people on the night of Feb. 5, 2019, near 54th Avenue and Holland Street in East Oakland. Only Hyche and Rice have ever been charged.
A woman who worked nearby later identified Hyche and Rice from surveillance footage of the shooting, but gave inconsistent statements and failed to identify the men during an earlier review of photos, according to court records.
The woman also attempted to testify during Hyche and Rice’s preliminary hearing that Orellana-Monge was on good terms with gang members in the area, who rushed to check on him after the shooting. A judge prevented her from delving into those details, court records show.
Hyche is serving his sentence at High Desert State Prison, where he was admitted last December. He will be eligible for release in 2028, according to prison records.