2 GET PRISON IN SLAYING PAIR CAN'T BE PAROLED UNTIL THEY'RE IN 70S, LAWYER SAID.Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer Two men have been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison in the gang-related slaying of a teenager Teenager See also Adolescence. Ah, Wilderness! high-school senior has problems with girls and his father. [Am. Drama: O’Neill Ah, Wilderness! in Sobel, 15] Aldrich, Henry teenaged film character of the 1940s. [Am. who was gunned down in Lake Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. as he drove away from a friend's house. Eighteen-year-old Ernesto Barba barba [L.] beard. was shot and killed in January 2004 after a fight with a group of men who had been standing outside a house where he went to retrieve a music CD. George Marron mar·ron n. See Spanish chestnut. [French; see maroon2.] and Raymond Vallejo, both 24, were each convicted in November of first-degree murder by a Los Angeles Superior Court jury. ``Because they chose to involve themselves in a gang fight resulting in the shooting death of the victim, both defendants will not be eligible for their first parole parole (pərōl`), in criminal law, release from prison of a convict before the expiration of his term on condition that his activities be restricted and that he report regularly to an officer. hearing until they are about 72 years old,'' Deputy District Attorney Benny Osorio said after Friday's sentencing. Sentencing for co-defendant CO-DEFENDANT. One who is made defendant in an action with another person. Jose Medina, 25, who was accused of being the gunman, was postponed until Thursday because his attorney was at another trial. Barba's mother, grandmother and sister attended the sentencing but did not make a statement, Osorio said. A fourth defendant, Jason Falcon, 26, was acquitted. Marron, Medina, and Vallejo were each also convicted of attempted murder In the criminal law, attempted murder is committed when the defendant does an act that is more than merely preparatory to the commission of the crime of murder and, at the time of these acts, the person has a specific intention to kill. in connection with a female passenger in Barba's car, and jurors also found true gang and gun allegations against the three defendants. The victim and the three convicted defendants were gang members, but there was no evidence that Falcon was a gang member, prosecutors said. Barba had gone to a friend's house in the 40500 block of 174th Street East early Jan. 3 to pick up the CD when he was confronted by the defendants, who challenged him by asking, ``Where are you from?'' prosecutors said. He responded with a gang name, the defendants replied with their gang affiliation, and a fight ensued, prosecutors said. Barba got into his car and drove off while Medina ran into the middle of the street and fired 13 shots. Barba's car was found crashed two blocks away, and the victim had been shot in the back of the head, prosecutors said. Falcon held back one of the witnesses for several seconds while he was trying to help Barba, prosecutors said. Barba was a student at Desert Sands Continuation High School A continuation high school is an alternative to a comprehensive high school primarily for students who are considered at-risk of not graduating at the normal pace. The requirements to graduate are the same but the scheduling is more flexible to allow students to earn their credits but had been preparing to start a new job in the next week. Medina was arrested in February 2004 in Texas after investigators learned he might have left California and alerted other police agencies around the country. The others were arrested in Lake Los Angeles in the two months after the killing. Karen Maeshiro, (661) 267-5744 karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com |
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