60 YEARS, PLUS 4 LIFE TERMS WOMAN'S KILLER INSISTS HE WAS 'RAILROADED'.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A reputed Palmdale gang member was sentenced Friday to 60 years plus four consecutive life terms in prison for the Thanksgiving weekend slaying of a young woman who was gunned down as she ran screaming for help.

Inside a courtroom staffed with extra bailiffs, victim Brandi Olivares' angry relatives called convicted killer Scott Ward ``heartless,'' ``a coward,'' ``a punk'' and ``the devil's child.''

``You will never ever have a day of peace,'' said Irma Olivares, the 21-year-old victim's mother. ``When you open or close your eyes, she'll be right there staring at you. Until the day I die, I'm going to make sure you stay where you're at.''

``She is standing right here. You could never take her away. You are a coward. I never use the word 'hate.' It's an awful word, but I hate you!''

Cousin Tanya Vasquez tearfully described Brandi as one of the very few people who was always forgiving of others. She didn't hold a grudge and always had a smile on her face.

``She was the most sweetest, caring, happy and beautiful young lady,'' Vasquez said. ``You are sleeping with the angels now, Brandi. Good night, and I love you.''

Vasquez said she believed Brandi wanted her to attend the sentencing to thank people for ``bringing justice to the case and for not giving up on putting the devil's child to rot in hell.''

Olivares' uncle, Frank Alfaro, told Ward that he ``took someone away from me who meant a lot. If you had a heart, you would understand that. You understand that? I don't think so,'' Alfaro said.

Ward and co-defendant Gabriel Smutz, both 26, were convicted in September of first-degree murder in the Nov. 30 shooting death of Olivares, who authorities believe was raped after passing out at a party, a result of being drugged.

Smutz, Olivares' former boyfriend, is scheduled to be sentenced in December.

When asked whether he wanted to say anything, Ward kept his head bent down and shook his head no. In a probation and sentencing report, Ward was quoted as saying, ``I believe I was railroaded in this case.''

When the shackled Ward left the courtroom, someone called out, ``Let the system take care of you, buddy. You know what's up. See you in hell.''

In the courtroom hallway after the sentencing hearing, words were exchanged between Irma Olivares and a female friend of the defendants outside the courtroom. Both sides had to be separated.

``I don't think that girl should've been here. She's going to get her day, too,'' Irma Olivares said after the encounter. ``My daughter's voice was heard today. My daughter accomplished what she was going to do, and that was to tell and say what was done to her. We're still waiting for Gabriel. It will get better.''

Deputy District Attorney Hayden Zacky said Ward, while in custody, punched a sheriff's custodial assistant and kicked several deputies. He was recently caught with a handmade stabbing weapon in his jail cell.

``That's why he's shackled like that,'' Zacky said.

Investigators said Olivares was at a party with Ward and Smutz, where, according to witnesses, she was drugged with an illegal sedative that has been described as a date-rape drug. She was raped by the defendants and possibly others, Ward's sentencing report said.

Ward and Smutz drove Olivares to Barrel Springs Road near Lake Palmdale, where she jumped out the car, was chased by the defendants, and then shot twice by Ward with a shotgun after she climbed over a chain- link fence near a home, the report said.

Her purse and shoes were dropped as she ran.

Olivares was a former Antelope Valley resident who moved to Ventura County near Ojai but returned and attended the party at a Palmdale apartment, the report said.

Ward was detained the next day for a burglary investigation, and deputies said they found in his pocket a shotgun shell that was later found to have matched those at the murder scene, as well as a pair of women's panties, the report said.

Homicide Detective Richard Longshore said Ward was a ``vicious'' person who hunted down the victim and, after mortally shooting her, shot her again. Longshore said Ward kept the victim's panties as a ``trophy.''

The party occurred four days after Ward's release from jail following his acquittal on an assault charge.

Ward testified in court that he shot and killed the victim as she ran from his car on Barrel Springs Road, but said he meant to scare her, not kill her.

He said Olivares had hit him as he drove her home from the party, and he got angry, but he couldn't see her in the darkness and didn't know the blast had hit her.

Ward testified that Smutz stayed behind at the apartment where the party occurred, and said Olivares never said she was raped.

Karen Maeshiro, [phone]

karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com