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Thread: Angel Anthony Esparza - California Death Row

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    Angel Anthony Esparza - California Death Row




    Prosecutors to seek death penalty in case against Coachella man

    Prosecutors announced Wednesday they will seek the death penalty for a Coachella man accused of gunning down 3 people, including a 16-year-old boy.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 27, is charged in the deaths of 16-year-old Angel Luna in Coachella on Dec. 3, 2009, and of Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia in Mecca on Dec. 19, 2009. A judge on Wednesday also granted prosecutors' request that the 2 cases, which were originally charged separately, be combined and tried together, according to the Riverside County District Attorney's Office.

    Esparza, who is being held without bail at the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, is due back in court Dec. 18 for a trial readiness conference.

    He is charged with special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of robbery and kidnapping in Juarez's and Garcia's deaths, according to the criminal complaint.

    In the Dec. 3 killing, investigators believe Angel Luna left a continuation school near Eighth Street and Orchard Avenue, which is near the Boys and Girls Club in Coachella, that afternoon. Witnesses said they had seen Luna walking with his bicycle on the sidewalk north of the club when he was approached by a man who matched Esparza's description, Riverside County Sheriff's Department Detective Kenneth Patterson wrote in a declaration in support of an arrest warrant.

    "It appeared to witnesses that a verbal argument ensued. The verbal argument lasted seconds when the suspect began shooting Luna," Patterson wrote, adding that witnesses heard between 5 or 6 shots.

    Esparza was arrested Dec. 24 at a home in the 8000 block of Sunnyside Avenue in San Bernardino.

    His girlfriend, Evia Mora, was sentenced to a year in jail and three years probation after pleading guilty in July 2010 to acting as an accessory for helping Esparza evade arrest. When the 2 were arrested, the couple's then 6-week-old baby was taken into protective custody.

    (Source: mydesert.com)
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    Jury selection begins in trial of Coachella man accused of 3 killings

    Jury selection got underway Monday for the trial of a Coachella man accused of killing three people, including a teenage boy, within a 16-day period.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, is charged in the deaths of 16-year-old Angel Luna in Coachella on Dec. 3, 2009, and of farm workers Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia in Thermal on Dec. 19, 2009.

    Along with three counts of murder, Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

    The two cases were originally filed separately. A judge ordered in November that they be combined and tried together. Esparza’s attorney, John Patrick Dolan, said opening statements are expected at the beginning of March.

    The teen was killed after he left a continuation school near Eighth Street and Orchard Avenue, which is near the Boys and Girls Club in Coachella. Witnesses told investigators that the boy was walking with his bicycle on the sidewalk north of the club when he was approached by a man matching Esparza’s description, said Riverside County Sheriff’s Department Detective Kenneth Patterson.

    “It appeared to witnesses that a verbal argument ensued. The verbal argument lasted seconds when the suspect began shooting Luna,” Patterson wrote in a declaration in support of an arrest warrant. Witnesses heard between five or six shots, he said.

    On Dec. 19, Esparza — who had been identified as the suspect in the Luna killing — was allegedly hiding out in a trailer on Avenue 58 in Thermal, armed with a revolver, when Juarez and Garcia arrived. Esparza allegedly surprised the pair and demanded their wallets at gunpoint.

    He allegedly took their cash and ATM cards, bound both men and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths. They were driven in their vehicle to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, according to the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

    “Esparza returns to the trailer and states that both victims ‘are gone.’ Later he returns to the vineyard with a canister of gasoline and a bag of the victims’ property. The next day, the bodies of the victims are located, still smoldering,” according to a district attorney’s statement.

    Both men had been shot.

    Esparza was arrested Dec. 24, 2009, at a home in San Bernardino, and was in possession of a gun believed to be the murder weapon, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

    His girlfriend, Evia Mora, was sentenced to a year in jail and three years probation after pleading guilty in July 2010 to acting as an accessory for helping Esparza evade arrest.

    Esparza is being held without bail.

    http://www.mydesert.com/viewart/2014...-of-3-killings
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    Lawyers open Coachella, Thermal killing-spree trial

    A Coachella parolee carried out the “execution-style” killings of three people, including a teenage boy, in the same month, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday, but the defendant’s attorney argued there was no evidence to prove his client was the killer.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, is charged in the deaths of 16-year-old Angel Luna in Coachella on Dec. 3, 2009, and farm workers Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia in Thermal on Dec. 19, 2009.

    Along with three counts of murder, Esparza is charged with special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

    The two cases were originally filed separately, but a judge ruled in November that they be combined.

    “Three head shots, three execution-style murders — all three at the hands of the defendant,” Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva told jurors in his opening statement.

    Luna dropped off homework the afternoon of Dec. 3 at Coachella Valley Adult School near Eighth Street and Orchard Avenue, which is near the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella. Surveillance video showed him riding his bike to the school and entering a classroom, and a “shadowy figure” in the backyard of a residence on nearby Ninth Street, Silva said.

    “I’ll argue that that figure is Angel Esparza, waiting for Mr. Luna,” he said.

    Witnesses saw Luna interacting with someone wearing a black hooded sweatshirt when he reached the area of the Boys & Girls Club, and two volleys of shots were heard, according to the prosecution.

    Esparza, meanwhile, ran into a residence on Ninth Street and asked a woman for a ride, Silva said. During the drive to Indio, the woman heard Esparza say, “That fool was dead before he hit the ground,” the prosecutor said.

    “And he was — he was shot once in the eye, once in the cheek and two times in the back for good measure,” Silva said.

    He said Esparza saw news reports about Luna’s death the next morning, and told another woman with whom he spent the night that “someone ratted me out.”

    Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, let Esparza take refuge in their trailer in Thermal, and on Dec. 19, Juarez and Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin, according to the prosecutor.

    As the men were removing their clothes in Morin’s bedroom, Esparza burst in with a gun, ordered them onto the ground, took their cash and ATM cards, bound both men and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths, Silva alleged.

    He said Zapata and Esparza drove the victims to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street.

    “Christina Zapata will tell you the defendant dragged both individuals into the vineyard, and you’ll hear they were never seen alive again,” he said.

    The boyfriend of Morin’s mother drove Esparza, along with a canister of gasoline, to the vineyard, Silva said. The next morning, the men’s bodies were found “burnt beyond recognition” and shot in the head, he said.

    When Esparza was arrested on Dec. 24, 2009, at a home in San Bernardino, authorities found a gun that matched the bullet that killed Garcia and a black-hooded sweatshirt, Silva said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty to a pair of second-degree murder counts and are scheduled to be sentenced March 21, according to court records.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan said Esparza did run into Luna the day the teen was killed, but had no reason to hurt the boy.

    He said a woman who knew Esparza saw a group of three to five people, and Luna speaking with someone in a hooded sweatshirt, but didn’t recognize Esparza or hear his voice. Witnesses saw some people run to a vehicle, and Esparza, who saw the shooting, ran because he didn’t want to be caught violating the terms of his parole, Dolan said.

    “You will find there is no physical evidence in the area where Angel Luna was shot that relates to Angel Esparza,” Dolan told the jury. “You’ll learn there is no eyewitness that says, ‘Angel Esparza is the person who committed the shooting.’”

    Dolan said his client did not have a gun and didn’t smell like gunpowder when he asked the woman for a ride. He also noted that Esparza didn’t leave the area, even though he was named a suspect in the Luna killing.

    Regarding the killings of Juarez and Garcia, Dolan said Zapata and Morin knew of the Luna killing and made a deal with prosecutors after being arrested for the deaths of the farm workers.

    “Each of them will point the finger at Angel Esparza and get second- degree murder,” Dolan alleged.

    He said there was no physical evidence placing Esparza in the women’s trailer, and no gunshot residue found on anything seized at locations where Esparza stayed.

    Esparza told investigators he got the gun found in the home where he was arrested “on the street a couple days ago.” Dolan said it wouldn’t make sense for a murderer to keep a murder weapon, and there was also no murder weapon found in the Luna killing.

    Regarding the hooded sweatshirt found when Esparza was arrested, “(that) does not yield identification of a human being,” Dolan said.

    He said evidence showed “the pieces don’t fit.”

    “We have nothing other than the word of convicted killers and felons, and that’s it,” Dolan said.

    http://www.mydesert.com/viewart/2014...ng-spree-trial
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    Jury reaches verdict on murder charge, deadlocks on 2 others

    Angel Anthony Esparza on trial for 3 murders from 2009

    INDIO, Calif. - Jurors are deliberating over an alleged gang member charged with murdering a 16-year-old boy outside of the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella in 2009.

    The trial for Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, is underway in Indio.

    Esparza is charged in the deaths of 16-year-old Angel Luna in Coachella on Dec. 3, 2009, and of farm workers Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia in Thermal on Dec. 19, 2009.

    Jurors have come to a verdict on one murder charge but they have deadlocked on two others. A judge has asked the jury to resume deliberations at 2 p.m. to see if they can come to an agreement on the additional murder charges.

    The verdict that's been agreed upon hasn't been announced yet.

    Along with three counts of murder, Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping. He could face the death penalty if convicted.

    http://www.kesq.com/news/jury-reache...thers/25176590

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    Angel Anthony Esparza scheduled for sentencing on April 25th

    Jurors came to a verdict last week regarding a 2009 murder case in Coachella, but the decision was sealed by the court until Tuesday.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, has been convicted of killing 16-year-old Angel Luna. Luna was shot to death outside the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella on December 3, 2009.

    But, the announcement came with the declaration of a mistrial regarding two additional murder charges Esparza faces from December 19, 2009.

    Jurors deadlocked 9-3 in favor of guilt for the killings of Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia in Thermal. The jury had been deliberating since last week but were unable to reach an agreement.

    A trial readiness conference has been scheduled for April, 25.

    Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping for the second two counts, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    Esparza's sentencing date for the murder of Angel Luna is also scheduled for April 25.

    http://www.kesq.com/news/man-convict...nager/25272908
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    Angel Esparza to be sentenced in 2009 Coachella case

    INDIO – A man who killed a 16-year-old boy outside the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella is scheduled to be sentenced Friday.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, was convicted in March of the Dec. 3, 2009, killing of Angel Luna. He also was tried on two additional counts of murder in connection with the Dec. 19, 2009 killing of two farmworkers in Thermal, but the jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of guilt, and Esparza will be retried on those counts.

    The two cases had been filed separately, but a judge ordered them consolidated in November.

    “Three head shots, three execution-style murders — all three at the hands of the defendant,” Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva told jurors.

    Luna dropped off some homework on the afternoon of Dec. 3 at Coachella Valley Adult School near Eighth Street and Orchard Avenue, which is near the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella. Surveillance video showed him riding his bike to the school and entering a classroom, as well as a “shadowy figure” in the backyard of a home on Ninth Street, Silva said.

    “I’ll argue that that figure is Angel Esparza, waiting for Mr. Luna,” he said.

    Witnesses saw Luna with someone wearing a black hooded sweatshirt near or at the Boys & Girls Club, and two volleys of shots were heard, according to the prosecution.

    After the gunfire, Esparza ran into a home on Ninth Street and asked a woman for a ride, Silva said.

    En route to Indio, the woman heard Esparza say, “That fool was dead before he hit the ground,” the prosecutor said.

    He said Esparza saw reports of Luna’s killing the next morning and told another woman with whom he spent the night that “someone ratted me out.”

    Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, let Esparza take refuge in their trailer in Thermal and, on Dec. 19, Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin, according to the prosecutor.

    As the men were undressing in Morin’s bedroom, Esparza burst in with a gun, ordered them onto the floor, took their cash and ATM cards, bound them and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths, Silva said.

    Zapata and Esparza drove the victims to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, he said.

    “Christina Zapata will tell you the defendant dragged both individuals into the vineyard, and you’ll hear they were never seen alive again,” he said.

    Zapata’s boyfriend drove Esparza, who had a can of gasoline with him, to the vineyard, Silva said. The next morning, the men’s bodies were found “burned beyond recognition,” he said. Both were shot in the head.

    When Esparza was arrested Dec. 24, 2009, in San Bernardino, authorities found a gun with ballistic characteristics that matched the one used to kill Garcia and a black hooded sweatshirt, Silva said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder last year in exchange for sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan said Esparza did run into Luna the day the teen was killed, but had no reason to hurt the boy.

    After the shooting, witnesses told authorities they saw some people run to a vehicle, and Esparza, also a witness, ran because he was on parole, Dolan said.

    “You will find there is no physical evidence in the area where Angel Luna was shot that relates to Angel Esparza,” Dolan said. “You’ll learn there is no eyewitness that says, ‘Angel Esparza is the person who committed the shooting.’ ”

    Regarding the murders of Juarez and Garcia, Zapata and Morin, arrested in the deaths of the farmworkers, heard about Luna’s death and made a deal with prosecutors, Dolan said.

    “Each of them will point the finger at Angel Esparza and get second-degree murder,” Dolan said.

    Dolan said there was no evidence that put Esparza in the trailer.

    Esparza told investigators he got the gun seized during his arrest “on the street a couple days ago.” Dolan said it wouldn’t make sense for a murderer to keep the gun.

    The hooded sweatshirt found when Esparza was arrested “does not yield identification of a human being,” Dolan said.

    Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping for the killing of Juarez and Garcia, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/...ncing/9476895/

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    Angel Esparza gets 75 years in prison

    A Coachella parolee who killed a 16-year-old boy outside the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella was sentenced Friday to 75 years to life in prison.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, was convicted in March of the Dec. 3, 2009, killing of Angel Luna.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, was convicted in March of the Dec. 3, 2009, killing of Angel Luna. He also was tried on two additional counts of murder in connection with the Dec. 19, 2009 killing of two farmworkers in Thermal, but the jury deadlocked 9-3 in favor of guilt, and Esparza will be retried on those counts.

    The two cases had been filed separately, but a judge ordered them consolidated in November.

    "Three head shots, three execution-style murders — all three at the hands of the defendant," Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva told jurors.

    Luna dropped off some homework on the afternoon of Dec. 3 at Coachella Valley Adult School near Eighth Street and Orchard Avenue, which is near the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella. Surveillance video showed him riding his bike to the school and entering a classroom, as well as a "shadowy figure" in the backyard of a home on Ninth Street, Silva said.

    "I'll argue that that figure is Angel Esparza, waiting for Mr. Luna," he said.

    Witnesses saw Luna with someone wearing a black hooded sweatshirt near or at the Boys & Girls Club, and two volleys of shots were heard, according to the prosecution.

    After the gunfire, Esparza ran into a home on Ninth Street and asked a woman for a ride, Silva said.

    En route to Indio, the woman heard Esparza say, "That fool was dead before he hit the ground," the prosecutor said.

    He said Esparza saw reports of Luna's killing the next morning and told another woman with whom he spent the night that "someone ratted me out."

    Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, let Esparza take refuge in their trailer in Thermal and, on Dec. 19, Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin, according to the prosecutor.

    As the men were undressing in Morin's bedroom, Esparza burst in with a gun, ordered them onto the floor, took their cash and ATM cards, bound them and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths, Silva said.

    Zapata and Esparza drove the victims to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, he said.

    "Christina Zapata will tell you the defendant dragged both individuals into the vineyard, and you'll hear they were never seen alive again," he said.

    Zapata's boyfriend drove Esparza, who had a can of gasoline with him, to the vineyard, Silva said. The next morning, the men's bodies were found "burned beyond recognition," he said. Both were shot in the head.

    When Esparza was arrested Dec. 24, 2009, in San Bernardino, authorities found a gun with ballistic characteristics that matched the one used to kill Garcia and a black hooded sweatshirt, Silva said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder last year in exchange for sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan said Esparza did run into Luna the day the teen was killed, but had no reason to hurt the boy.

    After the shooting, witnesses told authorities they saw some people run to a vehicle, and Esparza, also a witness, ran because he was on parole, Dolan said.

    "You will find there is no physical evidence in the area where Angel Luna was shot that relates to Angel Esparza," Dolan said. "You'll learn there is no eyewitness that says, 'Angel Esparza is the person who committed the shooting.' "

    Regarding the murders of Juarez and Garcia, Zapata and Morin, arrested in the deaths of the farmworkers, heard about Luna's death and made a deal with prosecutors, Dolan said.

    "Each of them will point the finger at Angel Esparza and get second-degree murder," Dolan said.

    Dolan said there was no evidence that put Esparza in the trailer.

    Esparza told investigators he got the gun seized during his arrest "on the street a couple days ago." Dolan said it wouldn't make sense for a murderer to keep the gun.

    The hooded sweatshirt found when Esparza was arrested "does not yield identification of a human being," Dolan said.

    Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of multiple murders, murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping for the killing of Juarez and Garcia, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/...rison/9499631/
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    Angel Anthony Esparza gets retrial in vineyard killing case

    A jury was seated Thursday for the retrial of a Coachella parolee accused of killing two farmworkers in a Thermal vineyard.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, is accused in the deaths of Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia on Dec. 19, 2009, a little over two weeks after he fatally shot a 16-year-old boy outside the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella.

    Esparza was tried for all three killings together, but the jury deadlocked on the Dec. 19 killings, and Esparza is being retried for those.

    Opening statements are set for July 16.

    He was convicted of murdering 16-year-old Angel Luna and sentenced to 75 years to life in prison.

    Esparza faces special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping in the killings of Juarez and Garcia, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    "Three head shots, three execution-style murders — all three at the hands of the defendant," Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva told jurors in Esparza's first trial in March.

    He said Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, let Esparza take refuge in their trailer in Thermal while he was on the run after killing Luna, and, on Dec. 19, Juarez and Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin.

    As the men were undressing in Morin's bedroom, Esparza burst in with a gun, ordered them onto the floor, took their cash and ATM cards, bound them and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths, Silva alleged.

    Zapata's boyfriend drove her and Esparza, who had a can of gasoline with him, to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, he said.

    "Christina Zapata will tell you the defendant dragged both individuals into the vineyard, and you'll hear they were never seen alive again," he said.

    The next morning, the men's bodies were found "burned beyond recognition," he said. Both had been shot in the head.

    When Esparza was arrested Dec. 24, 2009, in San Bernardino, authorities found a gun with ballistic characteristics that matched the one used to kill Garcia, and a black hooded sweatshirt, which Esparza was wearing when he killed Luna, Silva said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty to two counts of second-degree murder last year in exchange for sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan argued in the first trial that Zapata and Morin, arrested in the deaths of the farm workers, heard about Luna's death and made a deal with prosecutors.

    "Each of them will point the finger at Angel Esparza and get second- degree murder," Dolan alleged.

    He said there was no physical evidence placing Esparza in the women's trailer, and no gunshot residue found on anything seized at locations where Esparza stayed.

    http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/...rial/11447149/
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    Opening statements scheduled in double murder retrial

    Opening statements are scheduled Thursday in the retrial of a Coachella parolee accused of killing two farm workers in a Thermal vineyard.

    Angel Anthony Esparza, 30, is accused in the Dec. 19, 2009, deaths of Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia, who died about two weeks after Esparza fatally shot a 16-year-old boy outside the Boys & Girls Club in Coachella.

    Esparza was tried for all three deaths together and was convicted earlier this year of murdering 16-year-old Angel Luna, but the jury deadlocked on the Dec. 19 killings, and he is being retried on those counts.

    Opening statements were scheduled to start Wednesday, but two key prosecution witnesses became unavailable, delaying the proceedings.

    After the jury left, Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, were brought in and told Riverside County Superior Court Judge James Hawkins they wouldn't testify. The judge said their prior testimony would be read to the jury.

    Esparza, who was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison for killing Luna, faces special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping in the killings of Juarez and Garcia, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    "Three head shots, three execution-style murders -- all three at the hands of the defendant,'' Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva told jurors in Esparza's first trial in March.

    He said Christina Zapata and Cecilia Morin let Esparza take refuge in their trailer in Thermal while he was on the run after killing Luna, and, on Dec. 19, Juarez and Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin.

    As the men were undressing in Morin's bedroom, Esparza burst in with a gun, ordered them onto the floor, took their cash and ATM cards, bound them and put duct tape over their eyes and mouths, Silva alleged.

    Zapata's boyfriend drove her and Esparza, who had a can of gasoline with him, to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, he said.

    "Christina Zapata will tell you the defendant dragged both individuals into the vineyard, and you'll hear they were never seen alive again,'' he said.

    The next morning, the men's bodies were found "burned beyond recognition,'' he said. Both had been shot in the head.

    When Esparza was arrested in San Bernardino on Dec. 24, 2009, authorities found a gun with ballistic characteristics that matched the one used to kill Garcia, and a black hooded sweatshirt, which Esparza was wearing when he killed Luna, Silva said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty in the case to two counts of second-degree murder last year in exchange for sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan argued in the first trial that Zapata and Morin, arrested in the deaths of the farm workers, heard about Luna's death and made a deal with prosecutors.

    "Each of them will point the finger at Angel Esparza and get second-degree murder,'' Dolan alleged.

    He said there was no physical evidence placing Esparza in the women's trailer, and no gunshot residue found on anything seized at locations where Esparza stayed.

    http://www.kesq.com/news/opening-sta...trial/26998930
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    Angel Anthony Esparza retrial: Jury deliberations begin again

    A Coachella man robbed, abducted and killed two farm workers in a Thermal vineyard, then burned their bodies and belongings “for good measure,” a prosecutor alleged Wednesday, but a defense attorney claimed his client was falsely accused by two women who pleaded guilty to the murders.

    Jury deliberations got underway Wednesday afternoon in Angel Anthony Esparza’s retrial for the Dec. 19, 2009, deaths of Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia. In his first trial, Esparza was prosecuted for the double murder and the Dec. 3, 2009, killing of 16-year-old Angel Luna, but the jury deadlocked on the vineyard killings and he is being retried on those counts.

    Deputy District Attorney Jake Silva said in his closing argument that the facts of the case present “a picture of Angel Esparza robbing, kidnapping and murdering Gregorio Juarez and Pedro Garcia, and for good measure, burning their flesh and the evidence. He’s guilty of first-degree murder.”

    Silva told jurors at the beginning of the trial that Esparza, 30, was staying at the Thermal residence of Christina Zapata and her daughter, Cecilia Morin, while on the run from law enforcement. On Dec. 19, Juarez and Garcia arrived with plans to pay to have sex with Morin, he said.

    Esparza entered Morin’s bedroom with a revolver and ordered Garcia and Juarez to the floor, took their wallets and bound them with cords and duct tape, Silva alleged. He and Zapata drove them to a vineyard at Avenue 58 and Pierce Street, and Esparza dragged them into the vineyard, the prosecutor said.

    Later, Zapata’s boyfriend, who had a can of gasoline with him, drove Zapata and Esparza back to the vineyard, and Esparza took the gas and a bag of the victims’ belongings into the vineyard. The next morning, Juarez and Garcia were found shot in the head and burned, the prosecutor said.

    Esparza was arrested in San Bernardino on Dec. 24, 2009, and authorities found a gun that matched a bullet in Garcia’s head, Silva said.

    Defense attorney John Patrick Dolan said in his closing argument that the jury had to believe Morin and Zapata to believe the charges against Esparza, “and you can’t believe these people.”

    He reminded the jury that Morin and Zapata refused to testify in the trial -- their previous testimony was read in court -- and called them prostitutes, drug addicts and murderers.

    “These women ... lied to you and said Mr. Esparza was involved in this and he wasn’t,” Dolan said.

    Morin and Zapata each pleaded guilty in the case to two counts of second- degree murder last year in exchange for sentences of 15 years to life in prison.

    Esparza, who was sentenced to 75 years to life in prison for killing Luna, faces special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and murder in the commission of a kidnapping in the killings of Juarez and Garcia, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted.

    http://www.desertsun.com/story/news/...egin/13392733/

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