"There's probable cause to believe the defendant committed the offense charged in Count 1," Fresno County Superior Court Judge Brian Alvarez said on Thursday.
Judge Alvarez cleared the way for Hines to face a jury after Fresno Police Detective Allison Lopez said, under oath, that Hines admitted to kicking 66-year-old Frank Placencia outside the Fresno Mission in August 2023.
"He put on steel-toed boots because he felt like they'd have more of an effect," Lopez said.
Responding officer Jose Sanchez described a graphic scene.
"He was breathing, but, again, when I tried asking him questions, he wasn't responding to me," Sanchez said about the victim.
At least two witnesses saw the attack -- that lasted for about a minute -- from across the street.
Mission residents told Action News the violence sent shock and fear.
"We have to walk by here every day to get in with our families and stuff, so yeah, it's not safe," a woman said at the time.
Hines is a high-security inmate and has maintained his innocence.
His defense did not present any evidence on Thursday, but suggested Hines was a victim after Placencia stole.
But Detective Adam Estrada painted a dangerous picture.
"He essentially told me he preys on weak individuals," Estrada said.
Action News learned Hines rejected a settlement offer from prosecutors in which he would have pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and faced 15 years to life in prison.
He could face between 26 years and life in prison if convicted at trial.
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