An Irvine man faces murder charges and a possible death sentence in connection with the kidnapping and killing of his business partner, a case prosecutors say grew out of a dispute over The Madison Collection, a $20 million Pasadena apartment complex.

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office charged Jianquan Bo, 66, on Monday, Aug. 3, with murder in the death of Shukur Aikebaer, 60, of Chino Hills. Prosecutors also filed a special allegation that Bo aided and abetted in the commission of a kidnapping, making him eligible for the death penalty.

"We allege Mr. Bo knew exactly what the plan was when they went to the victim's home," District Attorney Jason Anderson said at an Aug. 3 press conference at the Chino Hills sheriff's station.

What happened

Bo and his older brother, 67-year-old Zhengfeng Bo, drove more than 30 miles from Irvine to the 2100 block of Monteverde Drive in Chino Hills on the night of July 29, according to the Los Angeles Times. The electricity went out at Aikebaer's home, and when he stepped outside to investigate, one or both brothers shot him and placed him in the trunk of their silver Nissan Altima. Aikebaer's wife and daughter were inside the home.

San Bernardino County sheriff's deputies, responding to 911 calls, stopped the car about a mile away on Wandering Ridge Drive, the Pasadena Star-News reported. Jianquan Bo surrendered from the passenger seat. But Zhengfeng Bo exited the vehicle, opened the trunk and fired another shot at Aikebaer, who Sheriff Shannon Dicus said still appeared to be alive at that point. Deputies then shot Zhengfeng Bo to death. Both he and Aikebaer were pronounced dead at the scene.

Dicus called the attack "a calculated act of violence."

The Pasadena connection

Investigators believe the motive traces back to The Madison Collection, a Pasadena apartment complex. Zhengfeng Bo was CEO of Panshi LLC, an Irvine-based real estate firm, and Aikebaer served as its CFO and secretary, according to public records.

Bo, Panshi and another associate loaned the complex's developers more than $2 million, at least some of which had not been repaid, according to a lawsuit filed in February in Los Angeles County Superior Court, the Los Angeles Times reported. In a separate claim, Zhengfeng Bo personally sought more than $800,000 he had loaned to The Madison Collection LLC.

Two days before the killing, on July 27, Panshi filed another lawsuit seeking to oust the building's property managers, Panoptic LLC, and take control. The Madison Collection had been refusing to turn over financial books and bank account records, according to court filings.

Attorney Michael Chen, who represented Zhengfeng Bo in the property dispute, told the Los Angeles Times on Aug. 1 that Aikebaer had been the "middleman" between Panshi and The Madison Collection developers. Chen said Bo and Aikebaer appeared to have a good relationship until the day of the shooting.

Anderson said at the press conference that the exact motive remains undetermined but investigators have a framework based on the business relationship, pointing to "a dispute in decision-making or financial loss."

What's next

Jianquan Bo is being held without bail at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga. His arraignment is scheduled at the Rancho Cucamonga Superior Courthouse, though the date has not been set. He had not entered a plea as of Monday.

The San Bernardino County DA's Office said a Victim Advocate has been assigned to support Aikebaer's family throughout the judicial process. The case number is FWV26002653.

Aikebaer, a father of three daughters, was described by a family friend as the household's only source of income. Anyone with information about the case can contact the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department Homicide Detail.