A North Park man was ordered on April 20 to stand trial for second-degree murder in the stabbing death of a Native American man who was killed as his ponytail was being cut off with a knife while he slept.

Witnesses testified in the preliminary hearing about a strange series of events that left Nikko Guardado, 23, dead. He was asleep in a red Ford Focus owned by his friend, Eric Crew, who had stopped by an acquaintance’s apartment in the 3600 block on Bancroft St. in North Park on March 26, 2022 in the afternoon.

Alberto Jorge “Mickey” Barraza, 33, also lived in that apartment and disliked Guardado, according to witness Micah Letalu, who told Crew “you gotta get out of there.”

Crew went back to his car, where Letalu and other witnesses testified they saw Barraza open the car door and start to cut the ponytail off the sleeping Guardado in the front seat.

“He was waking up. He said, ‘What are you doing? Stop!'” said Letalu, quoting the victim as saying to Barraza.

During the struggle, the knife severed an artery under Guardado’s knee and he began bleeding profusely after Crew drove off, according to Deputy District Attorney Karra Reedy.

After the preliminary hearing, San Diego Superior Court Judge Peter Deddeh ordered Barraza to stand trial for second-degree murder, saying he did not see evidence for first-degree murder.

San Diego Police officers pulled over the red Ford Focus at the intersection of El Cajon Blvd. and Texas Street after Crew began speeding as he raced towards a hospital. Officers requested an ambulance, which took Guardado to a hospital where he died several hours later.

Detective Chris Murray testified Crew told him Barraza “stabbed his friend.” Crew told him that Barraza said “this is what you get,” as he was cutting the victim’s ponytail.

Detective Travis Demas testified he interviewed Barraza who admitted he attempted to “cut off his hair” in the incident while he was asleep, but added “I don’t believe I stabbed him.”

Barraza told the detective he cut the man’s ponytail to “humiliate him,” said Demas.

The incident was captured on the apartment’s doorbell Ring camera, but the video was mysteriously deleted before police could seize it, according to the prosecutor.

John Wyskiver, and his mother Lee Ann Wyskiver, whom Barraza lived with at the time, both denied in court to deleting the video. “I don’t know how,” said Lee Ann Wyskiver.

Sgt. Jonathan Dungan testified that Barraza also had access to the deleted video in the doorbell Ring camera in the home before his arrest.

Both John and Lee Ann Wyskiver said they disliked Guardado and he was not welcome in their home. Lee Ann Wyskiver said Guardado had stolen things from her. They also said Barraza is barred from returning to their home.

Attorney Andrea Mangarin, who represents Barraza, urged the judge not to order him to stand trial for murder, saying Barraza only intended to cut Guardado’s hair.

“Nikko really liked his hair,” said Mangarin to a witness in the hearing.

Prosecutor Reedy said Barraza immediately went outside to the car once he learned the victim was there and began cutting off his ponytail. She said it was dangerous to approach a sleeping person with a knife.

“He wanted to hurt him. He was mad,” said Reedy.

After Deddeh ordered Barraza to stand trial, Reedy asked for a bail increase or additional restrictions since he is free on $250,000 bond while he lives with his father in North Park.

“The defendant was an hour late (to the hearing),” said the prosecutor.

Mangarin said Barraza was late because there was a wreck on the freeway.

Deddeh didn’t want to increase bail, but he ordered Barraza not to have any contact with anyone who testified at the hearing.

“If you’re late, you risk being put in custody,” said Deddeh.

Barraza has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge. He will next appear in court on May 24 to set a trial date.

He is not charged with committing a hate crime in the death of the victim.