ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (WXYZ) — The two men who are charged with allegedly murdering a man in Rochester Hills after posing as DTE workers will stand trial in the case.
Judge Laura Polizzi bound over 37-year-old Carlos Hernandez and 39-year-old Joshua Zuazo in the alleged murder of Hussein Murray.
The preliminary hearing took place on Tuesday morning in Rochester Hills.
Linva Murray, the wife of Hussein Murray, was the first to take the stand in the case. Linva Murray testified that the two men who are charged came to their door and said they were DTE employees checking for a gas leak.
She testified that Hernandez and Zuazo came on Oct. 10 and said they were investigating a gas leak, and then said they'd come back the next day. She said they did come back on Oct. 11 and eventually came into the house. Her husband was going to show them where the basement was, Linva Murray said.
Watch Linva's entire testimony in the video below:
According to Linva Murray, Hussein was leading Zuazo and Hernandez down the stairs and she said they were downstairs for about 10 to 15 minutes before both men came back upstairs.
"Mr. Hernandez asked me, 'where is the safe?' and I said, 'we don't have one.' He said, 'where is the jewelry?' and I said 'at the bank at the safety deposit box,'" Linva Murray testified.
"I started asking, 'where is my husband, where is my husband?' I didn't get a response. when Mr. Zuazo came upstairs, I saw blood on his vest. I started screaming and Mr. Hernandez hit me in the face," she said.
She said he covered her mouth and then eventually they sat at the kitchen table. She testified that Hernandez took her watch off, took her cell phone, her car keys and that he went through her purse and took the cash.
She said after that, it was a little foggy, but Hernandez taped up her legs and wrists with black duct tape, while Zuazo was upstairs in the master bedroom and she said she could hear drawers hitting the floor.
Hear testimony from a deputy in the video below:
Other testimony in the first part of the hearing came from a deputy, a forensic investigator and a medical examiner.
Shauna Bryan, the deputy chief medical examiner in Oakland County, testified that Hussein Murray's body had not been touched after the scene.
"He had duct tape around his face, covering his mouth. He had duct tape around his hands and feet. Also zip ties around his hands and paper bags covering his hands. He was fully clothed," Bryan testified.
She said there was blood on him, and when she looked at evidence of injury, she found blunt force injuries to his head — bruising to the face, cuts to the jaw and scalp and a fractured jaw.
Hear more from the medical examiner and others in the videos below
The final witness to testify before lunch was Danielle Diaz, Hernandez's mother-in-law. Her testimony is in the video below.
Original story from October below
One suspect was wearing a mask while the other was hiding in the background as they rang the doorbell of the Murray family home in Rochester Hills. However, their attempt to conceal identities didn’t stop them both from being caught in a matter of days.
Now, 37-year-old Carlos Hernandez and 39-year-old Joshua Zuazo, both from Dearborn, are facing charges for murder and unlawful imprisonment. They allegedly pretended to be DTE utility workers looking for gas leaks to gain access to the home in a planned robbery attempt.
Watch our previous report when Hernandez was charged in the video below:
Austin Rogers' parents live near the home in the house he grew up in.
“Definitely a relief for the street and also for the city and the entire area,” Rogers said of the arrests, which he noted happened quicker than he expected. “I was very surprised and very happy they were off the streets and very happy they were charged with what they’re charged with.”
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Video shows fake DTE workers accused of killing man, hurting wife in Rochester Hills
In the attempted robbery, the two men are accused of killing the 72-year-old homeowner Hussein Murray. According to the prosecutor, Murray’s wrists and legs were found duck taped. His 72-year-old wife was also duck taped upstairs as the suspects demanded she tell them where they kept the jewelry and cash. At one point, Hernandez allegedly hit her when she screamed.
Investigators believe the family was targeted because they owned a pawn shop and jewelry store in Hamtramck. They say there's no indication the Murray's knew the two suspects.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 'It’s been like hell.' Family of Slain Rochester Hills man speaks out as suspects are arrested
“We believe it was not random, it was focused on this family, this house. For what reason? We think at this point, without different information, it was because they were small business owners," Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. "We've seen that kind of targeting on jewelry stores and cash-driven businesses in the past, so that's our working thought at this point.”
While Hernandez was arrested in Louisiana, Zuazo was arrested in Plymouth Township. Bouchard says getting the Ring doorbell video out to the public was crucial in tracking down the suspects.
WATCH: Scene video of man arrested in Louisiana after alleged murder in Rochester Hills (courtesy KTBS in Shreveport)
“Those images really started bringing tips in because he was very recognizable even with the mask,” Bouchard said. "We got some information and the breadcrumbs kind of led us to different addresses or houses or potential cars, and one thing led to another on both these folks.”
Zuazo will appear in Rochester Hills court on Friday for his arraignment, which is scheduled for 1:15 pm.
