EL CAJON (CNS) - A man who allegedly gunned down his ex-girlfriend's twin teenage daughters in Lemon Grove was ordered Tuesday to stand trial on murder and other charges.
Dwayne Edward Groves Jr., 40, is accused of fatally shooting 15-year- old Caira Rachel Christopher and Leah Sylvania Christopher around noon April 15, 2020, at their Central Avenue home.
The girls' mother and her other children were in the home at the time, but were able to escape.
Groves faces two murder counts with a special circumstance allegation for allegedly committing multiple murders, meaning he could face the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. He is also charged with assault with a semi-automatic firearm, burglary, shooting at an occupied house, child abuse and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
At his arraignment, Deputy District Attorney Meredith Pro alleged that shortly before Groves arrived at the home, he called his former girlfriend and told her "he had figured it all out and had a plan," though she didn't know what he meant.
The prosecutor said he first fired a gunshot through a sliding glass door before entering the home and fatally shooting both victims.
Sheriff's deputies searched the area with help from a patrol helicopter and found Groves hiding in a backyard a few houses away from the shooting scene, according to sheriff's Lt. Tom Seiver.
Groves remains in custody without bail.
