Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Suspected killer of police officer formally charged
Listen
• 1:29
Joseph Bonaminio (left), the father of slain Riverside policeman Ryan Bonaminio, and Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco announce the charges against suspected killer Earl Ellis Green at a Tuesday news conference.
(
Steven Cuevas/KPCC
)
44-year-old Earl Green is suspected of killing Riverside policeman Ryan Bonaminio
(
Riverside Police Department / Steven Cuevas
)
A career criminal from the Inland Empire was formally charged today with the murder of a Riverside policeman. Earl Ellis Green was arrested last week, just a couple days after allegedly killing officer Ryan Bonaminio.
Authorities say Green gunned down Bonaminio, possibly with the officer’s own weapon, after fleeing the scene of a hit-and-run crash in a stolen truck. Green faces first-degree murder and other charges, with special circumstance allegations that if he’s convicted could send him to death row.
“It is clear from the evidence and several witnesses that officer Bonaminio pleaded for his life before he was murdered,” said Riverside County District Attorney Rod Pacheco at a morning news conference in Riverside.
Investigators linked Green to the murder through a fingerprint match. Investigators also found the officer’s department-issued semiautomatic pistol while searching Green’s house and other locations. Green has spent the better part of the past 20 years in prison for felony convictions ranging from car theft to assaulting a police officer.
Support for LAist comes from
“Any system that allows an individual like this to commit that many felony offenses over that period of time should have been in prison for a much longer period,” said Pacheco.
“And so in my opinion, the system failed to protect officer Ryan Bonaminio and that system needs to be reformed.”
Even though his office filed the special circumstance allegations, Pacheco said prosecutors have not decided if they will seek the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.
Green’s court appointed defense attorneys are seeking a gag order against Pacheco, apparently in response to remarks Pachecho made about the case at Monday’s news conference. The defense has also asked the court to seal some evidence in the case. Green’s arraignment was postponed until December.
A funeral for Bonaminio will be held Tuesday morning at Grove Community Church in Riverside. The 10 a.m. service will also be streamed online at Memorial Webcasts.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out. -
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings. -
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning. -
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/5425437/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3897+0+0/resize/640x396!/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority. -
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding. -
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.
![A Black woman sits at a dais with a flag in the background. A name placard in front of her reads: Dr. Va Lecia Adams Kell[um].](https://scpr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/45c201e/2147483647/strip/true/crop/6298x3894+0+0/resize/786x486!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fscpr-brightspot.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com%2F76%2F00%2Febed9a7a4fbd9e5ba12997e51d59%2Fgettyimages-1258669633.jpg)
Best of LAist