Results 1 to 9 of 9

Thread: Luis Mendoza - California Death Row

  1. #1
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534

    Luis Mendoza - California Death Row


    Luis Mendoza


    Facts of the Crime:

    Sentenced to death in San Bernardino County, along with Lorenzo Arias, on September 10, 2008 in the so-called "Dead Presidents" quadruple slaying on July 9, 2000. Mendoza and Arias were part of a four-man crew who fired gunshots and killed four men and wounded two others at a West Vine Street duplex.

    The victims who died were: Johnny Agudo, 33; his brother Gilbert Agudo, 27; Anthony Daniel Luna, 23; and Luna's half-brother, Marselino Gregory Luna, 19. Because the Agudo brothers were presidents of two local street gangs, some in law-enforcement circles have dubbed the case "Dead Presidents." Another defendant in the case, John Adrian Ramirez took a plea bargain and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. A fourth man, Froylan Chiprez remains a fugitive.

    For more on Arias, see: http://www.cncpunishment.com/forums/...rnia-Death-Row

  2. #2
    Guest
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    5,534
    September 10, 2008

    Lorenzo Arias and Luis Mendoza Sentenced to Death

    SAN BERNARDINO - Two San Bernardino gang members were sentenced to death today for their roles in an intra-gang purge six years ago that killed four and wounded two.

    Luis Mendoza, 32, and Lorenzo Inez Arias, 29, each were convicted July 8 on four counts of first-degree murder and two of attempted murder.

    Jurors also found that the killings were done in association with, and to benefit, a criminal street gang. They recommended Aug. 13 that both men be sentenced to death.

    About noon, San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge Michael Smith formally sentenced Mendoza and Arias, saying the killings of four men on July 9, 2000, were execution-style slayings.

    Smith denied separate motions for a new trial and to reduce the penalty to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

    Smith said the evidence supported the jury's guilty verdicts and death penalty recommendations.

    Mendoza and Arias did not make statements during the two-hour hearing. No victim-impact statements were read.

    Their sentencing reports, made public today, state that the punishment clearly fits the crimes.

    "A case so heinous as this should leave no doubt in one's mind that if there was ever a case where the death penalty applies, this is such a case," the report said.

    The bloodbath on July 9, 2000, became known as the "dead presidents" killings because two of the slain were leaders of Westside San Bernardino gang cliques.

    Killed were Marcelino Luna, 19, of San Bernardino, his cousin, Anthony Luna, 23, of Grand Terrace, Johnny Agudo, 33, and his brother, Gilbert Agudo, 27, both of San Bernardino.

    A third suspect, Froylan Chiprez, 33, fled to Mexico after the killings, court records said.

    "Chiprez is still outstanding and we will continue to hunt for him and bring him to trial," said Glen Carr, a San Bernardino police detective.

    http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/s...93715.html?npc

  3. #3
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Related

    Murder trial begins in San Bernardino for last defendant in 'Dead Presidents' case

    The trial for the last remaining suspect in the "Dead Presidents" quadruple slaying of July 2000 began Tuesday with a crash course on gangs in the area.

    Deputy District Attorney Denise Yoakum used her opening statements to tell the jury that she believes the defendant, Froylan "danger" Chiprez, was a gunman in a shooting that killed four men and wounded two others on July 9, 2000, in the driveway of a Vine Street duplex in San Bernardino.

    Yoakum went on to say that the shooting happened because there were power struggles within the San Bernardino street gangs Little Counts and Seventh Street, cliques within the West Side Verdugo, which is controlled by a prison gang.

    Those who died were: 33-year-old Johnny Agudo; his brother, Gilbert "Gibby" Agudo, 27; Anthony "Antdog" Luna, 23; and Luna's cousin, Marcelino "Spooky" Luna, 19.

    Armondo Villasenor and Michael Velarde were wounded.

    Two of the victims were presidents of local street gangs, prompting some law enforcement circles to dub the case "Dead Presidents."

    "At the end of this case, you're going to learn that being a gang member is not a lifestyle, it is a death style," Yoakum said.

    In the early morning of July 9, 2000, Chiprez and his crew got guns and bulletproof vests and went to the residence on Vine Street to remove fellow gang members from their positions of power, Yoakum said.

    Chiprez, who has denied gang involvement and pleaded not guilty to the charges, shook his head in disagreement as Yoakum gave her account of what happened.

    After plotting and planning, Chiprez and three others - Luis Mendoza, Lorenzo Arias and John Ramirez - opened fire on the victims, Yoakum said.

    "They thought they killed the bosses. They thought they killed the rivals. They thought they killed the witnesses and there's no one left to tell," she said.

    "They left and went to Mexico thinking they finished everything."

    But Villasenor and Velarde survived, Yoakum said.

    Defense lawyer James Gass reserved his opening statements until later in the trial.

    Authorities arrested Chiprez on June 21, 2011, in Tijuana. He was extradited to the U.S. in December.

    Chiprez is charged with four counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and special circumstances for an intentional killing while being active in a street gang, according to court records.

    Because Chiprez was extradited from Mexico, prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty. Instead, he is facing life without the possibility of parole.

    Two of the other defendants, Mendoza and Arias, have already gone to trial and were convicted. They were sentenced to the death penalty.

    Ramirez, the fourth defendant, accepted a plea bargain before going to trial.

    Several witnesses are expected to testify today inside San Bernardino Superior Court.

    http://www.sbsun.com/ci_21992681/mur...#ixzz2CD4bLkg0
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  4. #4
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Related

    'Dead Presidents' suspect found guilty in July 2000 slaying

    A jury has found Froylan Chiprez, the remaining suspect in the "Dead Presidents" quadruple homicide, guilty of four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in the July 2000 slaying in San Bernardino.

    Jurors also found all the special allegations against Chiprez, including allegations for the use of a firearm and gang involvement, to be true.

    The verdicts were announced shortly after 4 p.m. in San Bernardino Superior Court. Jurors began deliberating Thursday. The trial started Nov. 13.

    Chiprez is charged with four counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and special circumstances for an intentional killing while being active in a street gang on July 9, 2000 in the driveway of a Vine Street duplex in San Bernardino, according to court records.

    Officials said Chiprez and a crew went to the residence and opened fire. Their motive was to remove fellow gang members from their positions of power, Deputy District Attorney Denise Yoakum said.

    Two of the victims were presidents of local street gangs, prompting some law enforcement circles to dub the case "Dead Presidents," Yoakum said. The shooting happened because there were power struggles within the San Bernardino street gangs Little Counts and Seventh Street, cliques within the West Side Verdugo, controlled by a prison gang.

    The suspect's fled the scene and authorities arrested Chiprez on June 21, 2011, in Tijuana. He was extradited to the U.S. in December.

    Chiprez pleaded not guilty to the charges and has denied any gang involvement. Because he was extradited from Mexico, prosecutors cannot seek the death penalty. Instead, Chiprez is facing life without the possibility of parole.

    Two of the other defendants, Luis Mendoza and Lorenzo Arias, have already gone to trial and were convicted. They were sentenced to the death penalty.

    John Ramirez, the fourth defendant, accepted a plea bargain before going to trial.

    http://www.sbsun.com/breakingnews/ci...#ixzz2EhNNudOj
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  5. #5
    Administrator Heidi's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2010
    Posts
    33,217
    Related

    Gang member gets life in prison in ‘Dead Presidents’ quadruple murder

    After nearly 10 months of trying to get a new lawyer or a new trial, convicted killer Froylan Chiprez found out Friday that he will spend the rest of his life in prison.

    Chiprez, who was accused of participating in the “Dead Presidents” quadruple slaying in July 2000, was sentenced to four life terms without parole, plus 125 years to life and an additional 31 years.

    “He earned every day of this,” said Deputy District Attorney Denise Yoakum, who prosecuted the case.

    During Friday’s hearing in San Bernardino Superior Court, Judge William Jefferson Powell said the killings took significant planning and sophistication.

    “It’s very rare for a judge to comment on the evidence of the trial,” he said. “This case is one of the most disturbing cases in my career.”

    Chiprez was one of the most dangerous defendants he had ever come across, the judge said.

    “Life in prison without the possibility of parole is the only way to keep society safe from what I can only describe as a monster,” Powell said.

    Defense attorney James Gass said he did not agree with the judge’s description of Chiprez.

    “He was always nice to me,” Gass said after the sentencing.

    On July 9, 2000, Chiprez was part of a crew who went to a San Bernardino home and opened fire on leaders of local gangs, authorities said.

    Their motive, authorities said, was to remove the high-ranking leaders from their positions of power.

    Johnny Agudo, 33, and his brother, Gilbert Agudo, 27, as well as Anthony Luna, 23, and his cousin, Marcelino Luna, 19, died. Armondo Villasenor and Michael Velarde were wounded

    Two of the victims were presidents of San Bernardino street gangs Little Counts and Seventh Street, cliques within the West Side Verdugo, which is controlled by a prison gang, prompting some law enforcement circles to dub the case “Dead Presidents.”

    The shooters fled after the ambush. Authorities arrested Chiprez on June 21, 2011, in Tijuana.

    He was extradited to the U.S. six months later.

    Chiprez was the remaining defendant in the case. He was convicted in December of four counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

    Jurors also found that the allegation of special circumstances for an intentional killing while being active in a gang at the time of the crime was true.

    Chiprez was the last defendant in the case to be convicted.

    Two of the other defendants, Luis Mendoza and Lorenzo Arias, have already been convicted and sentenced to the death penalty.

    John Ramirez, the fourth defendant, accepted a plea bargain.

    Chiprez did not receive the death penalty because he was extradited from Mexico.

    After the sentencing, Yoakum said she was happy with the sentencing.

    “I think it’s appropriate,” she said. “I think it sends out a message that if you commit murder in the county of San Bernardino we will find you and we will prosecute you. We’re not going to tolerate gang violence.”

    http://www.sbsun.com/general-news/20...adruple-murder
    An uninformed opponent is a dangerous opponent.

    "Y'all be makin shit up" ~ Markeith Loyd

  6. #6
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    Counsel was appointed to represent Mendoza on direct appeal on December 19, 2011.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...doc_no=S167010

  7. #7
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    On February 21, 2017, Mendoza filed his initial brief on direct appeal before the California Supreme Court.

    http://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca.g...tTMCAgCg%3D%3D

  8. #8
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    The prosecution filed a response on the 20th of August 2018.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....tTMCAgCg%3D%3D

  9. #9
    Senior Member CnCP Legend JLR's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2011
    Posts
    2,740
    Mendoza's case has been fully briefed on direct appeal since the 8th of November 2019.

    https://appellatecases.courtinfo.ca....JSMCAgCg%3D%3D

Thread Information

Users Browsing this Thread

There are currently 1 users browsing this thread. (0 members and 1 guests)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •