Paso Robles man accused of killing Atascadero man because he was gay appears in court
The Paso Robles man accused of killing an Atascadero man because he was gay made another court appearance Thursday.
Tyler Stevens, 21, was charged with the murder of 34-year-old Todd Joseph Pinion, who went missing from Atascadero on Oct. 30. Pinion’s dog, Spock, was found dead at the base of the Cuesta Grade the following morning.
Police found Pinion’s body on Nov. 3 in a remote area near Tassajara Creek. Stevens was arrested on suspicion of homicide later that day and was being held in San Luis Obispo County Jail without bail.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has since charged Stevens both with Pinion’s murder and animal cruelty toward Spock. The agency added two sentencing enhancements to the murder charge — one for a hate crime and another for using a deadly weapon, in this case a knife.
The charges against Stevens also carry a sentencing enhancement related to Stevens’ 2023 conviction for assault on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, giving him one strike under California’s Three Strikes Law. According to the district attorney’s case search, he pleaded no contest in April 2023 to felony evading an officer with willful disregard and assault on a peace officer relating to an incident in December 2022, when he was 19.
Court records show Stevens was sentenced to 364 days in jail and two years of probation for that conviction. The case was transferred to Ventura County, where Stevens served his sentence because of his permanent residency at the time.
Under the Three Strikes Law, anyone convicted of a felony after one prior conviction of a serious or violent felony can be sentenced to prison for twice as long as a normal. A third-time offender faces a minimum sentence of 25 years to life in prison.
His arraignment was scheduled for Dec. 18.
Pinion was remembered as a loving person who accepted everyone without judgment. His memorial on Nov. 9 was attended by more than 200 people.
A candlelight vigil for Pinion will be held on Friday at 5 p.m. at the GALA Pride and Diversity Center, 1060 Palm St., San Luis Obispo.
A fundraiser was organized for Pinion’s family to help support them during this time. To donate, visit mealtrain.com/dddmd4.
This story was originally published November 21, 2024 at 10:22 AM.
