If Gianni or Illona were the targets, CM must not have known their full names, IMO. Otherwise, he would have checked out their photos on Facebook. There was no trace or connection to the victims on his computer, apparently.
Maybe CM wanted to kidnap Ilona and he planned to take out Gianni first. Sal shows up and CM demands his keys so he can kidnap Ilona. When she starts dialing 911, he has to kill her on the spur of the moment.
I don't think he knew Ilona, other than remotely as Gianni's fiance. He worked at Mira Mesa Target, not at Westfield Mall as was previously reported, and his search for the Westfield Mall address indicates he was unfamiliar with the location.
I think Gianni was the target, that he was killed after his phone call to cousin Mario ended (11:43 p.m.) and before CM approached Ilona (12:12 p.m.). CM's phone records (4 phones were confiscated) were not released in the warrants, but he made at least one call after his encounter with Ilona. This was observed in surveillance video and prompted the "tower dump" in search of cell phone activity in the vicinity, concentrating on multiple calls made from CP-1. CM was not a suspect at the time, so it's possible the initial search deemed unsuccessful, was found valuable later, in connection with CM's phone call to a co-conspirator who was on the look-out in the driver's seat of Gianni's car. The person identified was most likely CM, getting in the passenger side of a car similar to Gianni's, possibly using the passenger door to enter the back seat while Gianni lay dead in front. I believe that Gianni was misidentified by the two Macy's employees, and it was actually CM they saw. CM'S height, weight and complexion are a better match to their description.
Question is . . . why would CM hang out in the parking lot for 1 1/2 hours? I can't find it now, but remember reading about a text message from Sal to Gianni in this time frame, content was never revealed. Sal's phone was never recovered. This, with phone calls Ilona made to hospitals and county jail, indicates she and Sal had cause to worry about Gianni, and likely hold the key to a motive that has LE, family and everyone else mystified.
It appears CM was "lying in wait", perhaps worried that Ilona knew too much, not about him as she gave no indication she recognized him, but a co-conspirator who killed Gianni, moved him to the passenger seat found saturated with his blood, and drove to Riverside after CM killed Sal and Ilona. This supports LE's theory that CM did not act alone.
I don't believe CM had a relationship with the three victims, but was on "assignment" for reasons unknown but likely drug/money/gun related. In search of Mira Mesa Filipino gangs, I found disturbing information that attests to violence and illegal activities that plague our streets. While it appears Asian/Pacific Islander gangs are not as territorial as others, there are some who glorify their violent reign of territory.
January 1, 2014:
"A 37-year-old man was stabbed in the arm early Wednesday during a fight at a party in Mira Mesa attended by members of rival gangs, a police officer said. After the victim was stabbed shortly after 1 a.m., his girlfriend tried to drive him from the party on Worthing Avenue near
Westmore Road to a hospital."
Dec. 13, 2011:
"Two men were stabbed on Saturday in a fight that broke that involved 10 people, some of whom were reportedly gang members, at a Mira Mesa restaurant. A 2008 or 2009 Honda Civic sedan arrived with five occupants, who identified themselves as gang members."
Rather than rival, some gangs collaborate and profit in illegal activities like distribution of narcotics and weapons.
October 15, 2012:
"Law enforcement officials said Wednesday they had dismantled a drug and gun trafficking ring that involved members of *13 different gangs and resulted in what is believed to be the biggest single-day weapons seizure in San Diego County. A coalition of local, state and federal agents arrested more than three dozen people, most with gang affiliations or membership, and seized 60 weapons at the culmination of a two-year investigation dubbed "Crystal Palace." The number includes 33 guns found during raids of homes and storage facilities in Spring Valley, Lomita Village and Mira Mesa. Among the guns found during the latest raids were numerous assault rifles, including
AR-15 magazine-fed, semiautomatic rifles."
* that includes TINY ORIENTAL CRIPS (TOC), also in Riverside County. They feud with ORIENTAL BOY SOLDIERS (OBS).
I don't want to post pix or make a false ID, but open this link and see if you recognize anyone.
http://619gangs.blogspot.com/2013/07/oriental-boy-soldiers.html