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Thread: Salvador Venegas Sentenced to LWOP for 2014 CA Murder of Runar Claus

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    Salvador Venegas Sentenced to LWOP for 2014 CA Murder of Runar Claus

    San Jacinto gang-related death penalty trial handed to jury

    INDIO - Jury deliberations began on Tuesday, Nov. 13 in the death penalty trial of a documented gang member who allegedly opened fire on seven people outside a San Jacinto home, killing one.

    Salvador Venegas, 36, is accused in the Feb. 5, 2014, killing of Runar Claus, 37, of Hemet, who was shot in the driveway of a residence where the victim was talking with a group of friends.

    Venegas and an unidentified second person approached the group, asked "Where you from?'' then began firing on the group before anyone could answer, the prosecution alleges. Claus was struck in the abdomen and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he later died.

    Venegas is charged with one count of murder, six counts of attempted murder and four counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, with a special circumstance allegation of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang. If he is convicted of murder and jurors find the special circumstance to be true, a penalty trial phase will commence to determine whether Venegas will receive the death penalty or life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    Venegas was arrested in Hemet about three weeks after the killing following a short pursuit of a vehicle in which he was a passenger.

    Investigators said Venegas was placed at the shooting scene through data recovered from a GPS ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as part of a bail agreement stemming from a gun possession case.

    The criminal complaint alleges that Venegas was previously convicted in 2000 of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison in a case out of Los Angeles County. Details on that case were not available through Riverside County court records.

    https://www.myvalleynews.com/story/2...ury/63345.html
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    Gang member convicted in San Jacinto killing

    By City News Service

    INDIO - A documented gang member who opened fire on seven people outside a San Jacinto home, killing one, was convicted of murder and six counts of attempted murder on Thursday, Nov. 14, including a gang allegation that could have him facing the death penalty later this month.

    Salvador Venegas, 36, was found guilty Thursday afternoon in the Feb. 5, 2014, killing of Runar Claus, 37, of Hemet, who was shot in the driveway of a residence where the victim was talking with a group of friends.

    Along with the murder and attempted murder counts, jurors convicted Venegas of a special circumstance allegation of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, triggering a second phase of the trial in which the panel will weigh whether he will face death or life imprisonment without parole. The "penalty phase'' of the trial is slated to begin Nov. 26.

    Prosecutors allege that Venegas and an unidentified second person approached the group, asked "Where you from?'' then began firing on the group before anyone could answer. Claus was struck in the abdomen and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he later died.

    Venegas was arrested in Hemet about three weeks after the killing following a short pursuit of a vehicle in which he was a passenger.

    Investigators said Venegas was placed at the shooting scene through data recovered from a GPS ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as part of a bail agreement stemming from a gun possession case.

    The criminal complaint alleges that Venegas was previously convicted in 2000 of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison in a case out of Los Angeles County. Details on that case were not available through Riverside County court records.

    https://www.myvalleynews.com/story/2...ing/63357.html

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    Penalty phase to begin for gang member convicted in San Jacinto killing

    By City News Service

    INDIO - Pretrial motions were scheduled on Monday, Nov. 26 in the penalty phase of the murder trial of a documented gang member who opened fire on seven people outside a San Jacinto home, killing one.

    Salvador Venegas, 36, was convicted earlier this month in the Feb. 5, 2014, killing of Runar Claus, 37, of Hemet, who was shot in the driveway of a residence where the victim was talking with a group of friends.

    Jurors convicted Venegas of murder, six counts of attempted murder, and a special circumstance allegation of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, which triggered this week's second phase of the trial in which the panel will weigh whether he should face death or life imprisonment without parole.

    Prosecutors allege that Venegas and an unidentified second person approached the group, asked "Where you from?'' then began firing on the group before anyone could answer. Claus was struck in the abdomen and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he later died.

    Venegas was arrested in Hemet about three weeks after the killing following a short pursuit of a vehicle in which he was a passenger.

    Investigators said Venegas was placed at the shooting scene through data recovered from a GPS ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as part of a bail agreement stemming from a gun possession case.

    The criminal complaint alleges that Venegas was previously convicted in 2000 of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison in a case out of Los Angeles County.

    https://www.myvalleynews.com/story/2...ing/63523.html

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    Jury Recommends Life Without Parole for Gang Member in San Jacinto Killing

    MyNewsLA.com

    Jurors recommended Tuesday that a gang member who opened fire on seven people outside a San Jacinto home, killing one, be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    Salvador Venegas, 36, was convicted last month of the Feb. 5, 2014, killing of Runar Claus, 37, of Hemet, who was shot in the driveway of a residence where he was talking with a group of friends.

    Venegas was found guilty of murder and six counts of attempted murder, and jurors found true a special circumstance allegation of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, triggering the second phase of the trial, in which the panel weighed whether he should face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

    He will be formally sentenced on Feb. 22.

    Prosecutors saidVenegas and an unidentified second person approached the group and asked “Where you from?,” then began firing on the group before anyone could answer. Claus was struck in the abdomen and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he later died.

    Venegas was arrested in Hemet about three weeks after the killing following a short pursuit of a vehicle in which he was a passenger.

    Investigators said Venegas was placed at the shooting scene through data recovered from a GPS ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as part of a bail agreement stemming from a gun possession case.

    https://mynewsla.com/crime/2018/12/1...cinto-killing/

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    Gang member gets life in prison for fatal 2014 shooting in San Jacinto

    By City New Service

    A gang member who opened fire on seven people outside a San Jacinto home, killing one, while wearing a GPS monitoring device that eventually led to his capture was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, prosecutors said Wednesday.

    Salvador Venegas, 38, was convicted more than two years ago for the Feb. 5, 2014, killing of 37-year-old Runar Claus of Hemet, who was shot in the driveway of a residence where he was talking with a group of friends.

    Riverside Superior Court Judge Otis Sterling handed down the sentence Tuesday at the Larson Justice Center in Indio, according to John Hall, a spokesman for the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office.

    Venegas was found guilty of murder and six counts of attempted murder, and jurors found true a special circumstance allegation of committing the murder to benefit a criminal street gang, triggering the second phase of the trial, in which the panel weighed whether he should face the death penalty or life imprisonment.

    The district attorney initially sought a death sentence in the case, but jurors opted for life imprisonment instead, Hall said.

    During the trial, prosecutors said Venegas and an unidentified second person approached the group and asked “Where you from?,” then began firing on them before anyone could answer. Claus was struck in the abdomen and taken to Hemet Valley Hospital, where he later died.

    Venegas was arrested in Hemet about three weeks after the killing following a short pursuit of a vehicle in which he was a passenger.

    Investigators said Venegas was placed at the shooting scene through data recovered from a GPS ankle monitor, which he was required to wear as part of a bail agreement stemming from a gun possession case.

    The criminal complaint alleges that Venegas was previously convicted in 2000 of attempted murder and sentenced to 15 years and four months in prison in a case out of Los Angeles County. Further details on that case were not available.

    https://www.pe.com/2020/07/02/gang-m...n-san-jacinto/
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