A Riverside man has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a violent home invasion in unincorporated El Cerrito that left two residents pistol-whipped and bleeding, nearly two years after the break-in. Ricardo Jose Gonzalez, 42, admitted to first-degree burglary, robbery and being a felon in possession of a firearm, while his 41-year-old co-defendant, Corona resident Megan Alice Schuchman, remains charged and is headed to trial.
Gonzalez entered a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office, according to MyNewsLA.com, and prosecutors dropped two related charges as part of the deal. Court minutes indicated the plea carried no prospective sentence, and a sentencing hearing has been set for Nov. 30 before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Brian McCarville at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
What Happened Inside the Consul Avenue House
The case dates back to Jan. 3, 2025, when Gonzalez and Schuchman allegedly forced their way into a house in the 19000 block of Consul Avenue, near Grandview Street, in unincorporated El Cerrito. The station's report states that, per sheriff’s Lt. Albert Martinez, the pair assaulted two occupants inside the home, with Gonzalez using his handgun to beat them and inflict minor injuries. Neither victim required hospital treatment.
The defendants stole various items from the house before fleeing, the same account notes, and the victims called 911 once they were gone. Detectives went on to identify Gonzalez and Schuchman as the alleged home invaders, and arrest warrants were served on both roughly a week later, on Jan. 10, 2025. Gonzalez was taken into custody without incident in San Jacinto, while Schuchman was arrested without incident in Nuevo, per the same report.
Diverging Paths Through the Courts
The case moved slowly through the system after the arrests. An August 2025 preliminary hearing found sufficient evidence to bind both defendants over for trial, and now, more than a year later, their paths have split: Gonzalez has pleaded guilty, while Schuchman is slated for trial in early December.
Schuchman faces a broader set of charges, including robbery, burglary, being a felon in possession of a loaded gun, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia and witness intimidation, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of using a firearm during a felony. She has prior convictions for identity theft, forgery and possession of controlled substances and has served time in state prison, according to the outlet's reporting. Gonzalez, for his part, has prior convictions for identity theft, gang activity and being a felon with a gun.
Bail and Booking Details Vary Across Reports
Court records referenced in earlier coverage have not consistently agreed on some details of the case. Gonzalez is being held in lieu of $135,000 bail at the Byrd Detention Center, though an earlier report had put that figure at $155,000. Schuchman’s custody status has likewise been described differently across reports — one placed her bond at $120,000, while an earlier account listed her as free on a $30,000 bond. Ages for both defendants have also varied slightly between reports, with Gonzalez described as 40, 41 or 42 and Schuchman as 40 or 41 depending on the account.
Under California Penal Code section 211, robbery is defined as the felonious taking of personal property from another person or their immediate presence, against their will, through force or fear — the core allegation underlying both defendants’ charges in this case. Members of the public looking to track the case further can search filings through the Superior Court of California, County of Riverside’s public access portal, which the court says is meant to let people view available case data without visiting the courthouse in person.
With Gonzalez’s sentencing set for Nov. 30 and Schuchman’s trial expected to begin in early December, the case is likely to see its two remaining chapters play out within weeks of each other.
