People v. Anaya

221 Cal. App. 4th 252, 2013 D.A.R. 14, 164 Cal. Rptr. 3d 216, 2013 WL 5943968, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 896
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedOctober 7, 2013
DocketNos. F063835, F064116
StatusPublished
Cited by10 cases

This text of 221 Cal. App. 4th 252 (People v. Anaya) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Anaya, 221 Cal. App. 4th 252, 2013 D.A.R. 14, 164 Cal. Rptr. 3d 216, 2013 WL 5943968, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 896 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Opinion

PEÑA, J.

INTRODUCTION

Defendants Adam Daniel Anaya and Eric Thomas Wolfe were tried together in the Superior Court of Tulare County on various criminal charges stemming from their forceful attempts to collect a criminal street gang debt. After their convictions, defendants were sentenced separately and appealed separately. Following consolidation of their appeals, defendants contend (1) the convictions must be reversed because (a) the jury was provided conflicting instructions on the manner to assess the key witness’s credibility, and (b) juror misconduct; (2) there is insufficient evidence to support (a) the extortion convictions, (b) the dissuading a witness convictions, and (c) the one battery conviction; (3) the life terms imposed for the extortion and the dissuading a witness convictions are not authorized; (4) as defendants have been improperly convicted of both robbery and receiving stolen property, the convictions for receiving stolen property must be reversed; (5) this case must be remanded for the trial court to impose or strike the gang enhancements to the term for the burglary convictions and the receiving stolen property convictions; and (6) multiple enhancements for one prior serious felony conviction are not authorized, and only one stayed prior prison term should appear on the abstracts of judgment. As outlined below, we agree with defendants’ contentions (3), (4), (5), and (6). Accordingly, the judgments are reversed in part and affirmed in part.

[256]*256PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

In a first amended information, both defendants were alleged to have committed the crimes of extortion (Pen. Code,1 § 520; count 1), burglary (§ 459; count 2), home invasion robbery (§ 211; count 3), assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury (§ 245, subd. (a)(1); count 4), dissuading a witness or victim (§ 136.1, subd. (b)(2); count 5), participation in a criminal street gang (§ 186.22, subd. (a); count 6), and receiving stolen property (§ 496, subd. (a); count 7). An additional count of dissuading a witness or victim (§ 136.1, subd. (b)(2); count 8) was alleged as to defendant Wolfe. Excepting count 6, it was further alleged that the crimes were committed for the benefit of a street gang (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)(A), (C), (4)). As to all counts, it was also alleged that each defendant had a prior strike conviction and a prior serious felony conviction (§§ 667, subds. (a)(1), (b)-(i), 1170.12, subds. (a)-(d)). Except for count 8, it was also alleged that defendant Anaya had suffered a prior prison term under section 667.5, subdivision (b). And it was further alleged with regard to the home invasion robbery that the crime was committed in concert with others (§ 213, subd. (a)(1)(A)).

During trial, the dissuading a witness or victim offenses (counts 5 & 8) were amended to allege violations of subdivision (b)(1) of section 136.1, and the assault likely to produce great bodily injury offense (count 4) was reduced to a battery (§ 242).

Following an eight-day trial, defendants were convicted on all counts. In bifurcated proceedings, defendant Anaya admitted the prior conviction allegations and the trial court found the prior strike and serious felony allegations against defendant Wolfe to be true.

On October 21, 2011, defendant Anaya was sentenced to a total of 30 years to life on count 3, plus five years for the prior serious felony conviction. Additional terms were imposed on the remaining counts, to be served either concurrently or stayed pursuant to section 654.

On November 7, 2011,2 defendant Anaya filed a timely notice of appeal.

On December 13, 2011, defendant Wolfe was also sentenced to a total of 30 years to life on count 3, plus five years for the prior serious felony conviction. The sentences imposed on the remaining counts and special allegations were imposed concurrently or were stayed.

[257]*257On December 22, 2011, defendant Wolfe filed a timely notice of appeal.3

FACTS

Facts Specific to the January 2010 Incident

Eric Dahlberg lived across the street from his friend Roy Gomez in Tulare. On January 31, 2010, Dahlberg called 911 after he became concerned about a number of people he observed at Gomez’s home. He had never seen these six or so men at his neighbor’s home before. Gomez and the others were standing near the driveway and appeared to be talking. But then Gomez started backing up and the others were getting closer, “kind of circling around him.” Dahlberg thought it was a “little suspicious.” Gomez had backed up to the garage door and put his hands up. Shortly thereafter, Gomez’s cousin came out from inside the house.

Although Dahlberg could not hear what was being said, he could see clearly. He focused on one person who appeared older and “darker.” That individual stood out and seemed like he was telling the others what to do. He made lots of hand gestures: when he pointed to the curb, two individuals went to the curb; when he pointed to the house, everyone else went inside.4 That individual also used his cell phone a couple of times. The individual “was in Roy’s face,” while the others were behind him. Dahlberg did not witness any physical altercation.

By the time the police arrived in response to his call, Dahlberg was at the back of his house. Because he could not clearly see individual faces, he could not identify anyone other than Gomez and his cousin. Later, Gomez came to Dahlberg’s door. He was “breathing hard” and was “acting shocked.”

Another neighbor, Richard Hernandez, was outside working on his truck that same day. He recalled seeing “a bunch of guys” pull up in a couple of cars. He figured they were friends of Gomez’s. It was not unusual until he noticed the group had Gomez backed up against the garage door. There were six or seven men, most of whom were young. Two were older and one stood out because he was the only one talking and everyone else surrounded him. Hernandez could not decide if that man was African-American or a dark-complexioned Hispanic. That man was loud, “running his mouth,” yelling and screaming.

[258]*258Hernandez became concerned because Gomez was standing against the garage and everyone was “surrounding him.” They no longer looked like friends. Although he did not talk to Gomez’s cousin much, he knew who he was and he recognized him when he came outside. The group’s focus then shifted to Gomez’s cousin and they all went inside. About 10 minutes later, the police arrived.

When Hernandez gave his statement to police, his memory was fresh; he told the truth. He told Detective Jesus Guzman that the darker man had told Gomez’s cousin, “This doesn’t concern you. Get out of here.” He recalled seeing the darker man on his cell phone; he wore a red hat. Gomez’s cousin told the darker man that he did not have much money, but that he could take what he had. Hernandez recalled telling the detective that he saw “a larger white guy try to strike” Gomez.

In January 2010, Norteño gang member A.T. was living with his aunt, uncle, and cousin Roy Gomez in Tulare. In response to a midmorning knock, A.T. answered the door to find a man he believed to be John Delgado5 asking to speak with his cousin. He knew who Delgado was because Delgado had visited Gomez in the past. A.T.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
221 Cal. App. 4th 252, 2013 D.A.R. 14, 164 Cal. Rptr. 3d 216, 2013 WL 5943968, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 896, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-anaya-calctapp-2013.