Ronald Vikash Chand Trial
RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A 31-year-old man accused of attacking a Corona fitness club patron with a hatchet and knife, injuring the victim until he was able to overpower the defendant, must stand trial for attempted murder and other charges, a judge ruled Friday.
Ronald Vikash Chand of Santa Ana allegedly perpetrated the attack in 2023 inside the Planet Fitness at 3685 Grand Oaks, near Cajalco Road.
Following a preliminary hearing Friday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Emma Smith ruled there was sufficient evidence to bound Chand over for trial on the attempted murder count, in addition to assault with a deadly weapon resulting in great bodily injury and vandalism.
The defendant is being held on $1 million bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside.
According to the Corona Police Department, a 41-year-old Riverside man, whose name was not released, was in the fitness club parking lot when Chand confronted him shortly after 9 a.m. on March 14, 2023, wielding a hatchet and knife.
Without provocation, the defendant allegedly struck the victim with the hatchet and stabbed him with the knife, resulting in “stab wounds to the upper body,” prompting the man to retreat into the Planet Fitness, Sgt. Jason Waldon said.
“While inside, Chand held the victim at knifepoint for a short period before being taken to the ground by the victim and was disarmed and detained with the assistance of bystanders,” Waldon said.
He said gym staff called 911, and patrol officers reached the location minutes later, taking Chand into custody without further incident.
“The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment of non- life-threatening injuries,” the sergeant said, adding that the man ultimately recovered.
Chand suffered an unspecified minor injury and was also treated before being booked into jail, according to Waldon.
A possible motive for the attack was unknown.
Chand has no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.
