Staff Reports

Diamond Bar – A pretrial hearing has been set for Feb. 9th for a Diamond Bar resident accused of shooting his roommate last year.

Kyle Christopher Jacobs, 26, of Diamond Bar, is facing murder charges in connection of a shooting that happened April 7, 2011, in the 1100 block of North Del Sol Lane in Diamond Bar, in which witnesses say was self defense.

Ryan Modica, 39, a Walnut High School graduate and former roommate of Jacobs, was shot to death at the residence, after allegedly approaching Jacobs with a hammer raised, according to witnesses.

Jacobs lawyer introduced a photo of Modica on the ground with a hammer lying next to him, and DNA on the hammer matched Modica, according to his lawyer.

Jacobs was originally charged with murder and unlawful use of a gun, but those charges were dismissed against him earlier this year. New charges were filed by the Los Angeles County District Attorney in Nov. 2011.

Following a Dec. 13 preliminary hearing, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge said there was probable cause to hold Kyle Christopher Jacobs, 26, over for trial in the shooting of Ryan Modica. Jacobs, who has pled not guilty to a first-degree murder charge, remains in county jail with a bail set at $2 million.

Modica is survived by his two children, their mother his ex-wife Claudia Guillen, his mother and father Arthur F. Modica and Teresa (Krambeck), who now reside in Concho, AZ. He grew up in the Walnut/Diamond Bar area and resided there for over 25 years. He graduated from Walnut High School with honors in June of 1989.

Jacobs’ next court date is Feb. 9 for a pretrial conference in Dept. F of the Pomona Superior Court.