San Diego

A man suspected of killing four people in the College Grove area was ordered Tuesday to stand trial in Superior Court.

In a related development, the district attorney’s office filed a special circumstances allegation against the man, Carlos Fonseca, 23. If convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances, Fonseca would face the death penalty.

The special circumstances allege that the murders were multiple and committed during a robbery and a burglary. Also filed Tuesday against Fonseca were four counts of robbery, attempted robbery and burglary.

Fonseca pleaded innocent to the new charges at the conclusion of a four-day preliminary hearing conducted by San Diego Municipal Judge E. Mac Amos Jr.

Fonseca is accused of shooting and killing Rosa Partida Medina, 25; Enrique Beltran, 25; Miguel Martinez Vasquez, 20, and Augustine Farfan, 21, on Dec. 28, 1986, in the 3400 block of Hasty Street. Authorities believe the killings were drug-related.

An attempted murder charge was also filed against him in the shooting of a fifth person, who identified Fonseca as one of the gunmen last week in his testimony. The lone survivor’s name is being withheld at the request of Deputy Dist. Atty. Mark Pettine, who said the man is in danger because another gunman who allegedly helped Fonseca is still free. The other gunman’s identity is not known.

Pettine called the four murders an execution. The dead were all shot in the head at close range, except the survivor, who was shot in the stomach.

Fonseca’s attorney, Deborah Carson, objected to the late filing of the special circumstances allegation, but the judge allowed the amended complaint to be filed.

Amos revoked bail for Fonseca, which had been set at $4 million, at the prosecutor’s request. Amos ordered Fonseca bound over to Superior Court and scheduled trial setting and arraignment for Jan. 5.