People v. Centers

86 Cal. Rptr. 2d 151, 73 Cal. App. 4th 84
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 28, 1999
DocketE022259
StatusPublished
Cited by76 cases

This text of 86 Cal. Rptr. 2d 151 (People v. Centers) 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. Centers, 86 Cal. Rptr. 2d 151, 73 Cal. App. 4th 84 (Cal. Ct. App. 1999).

Opinion

86 Cal.Rptr.2d 151 (1999)
73 Cal.App.4th 84

The PEOPLE, Plaintiff and Respondent,
v.
Donald Lewis CENTERS, Defendant and Appellant.

No. E022259.

Court of Appeal, Fourth District, Division Two.

June 28, 1999.
Review Denied October 6, 1999.[**]

*153 George L. Schraer, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, San Diego, for Defendant and Appellant.

Daniel E. Lungren and Bill Lockyer, Attorneys General, George Williamson, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Gary W. Schons, Senior Assistant Attorney IssGeneral, Esteban Hernandez and Keith

I. Motley, Supervising Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent.

Certified for Partial Publication.[*]

OPINION

RICHLI, J.

Victim Daniel Raines owed defendant Donald Lewis Centers (defendant) about $200 for an "eight-ball" of methamphetamine. Defendant barged into the house where Raines was hiding out from him and kidnapped Raines at gunpoint. He drove Raines around town, from pay phone to pay phone, while Raines tried to arrange payment of $200 in ransom. Defendant kept the loaded gun pointed at Raines most of this time and threatened to shoot him if he could not get the money, if he did anything "funny,"or if the police intervened. Defendant was captured, and Raines was freed, when the police raided the ransom "drop."

In the published portion of this opinion, we will hold there was sufficient evidence that defendant intentionally confined the victim in a manner which exposed the victim to a substantial likelihood of death, so as to support a sentence of life without the possibility of parole. (Pen.Code, § 209, subd. (a).)

We will also consider the "multiple victim" exception to Penal Code section 654. This applies where the defendant has committed violent crimes against multiple victims. We will hold that burglary is a violent crime for purposes of the "multiple victim" exception when the jury finds that, in the commission of the burglary, the defendant personally used a firearm. We will also hold that the trial court may determine the identity of the victim (or victims) of a violent crime for this purpose even though no victim was named in the information or by the jury.

In the nonpublished portion of this opinion, we find no reversible error. Accordingly, we will affirm.

*154 I

FACTUAL BACKGROUND

Defendant supplied victim Daniel Raines with methamphetamine for resale. Defendant would "front" Raines an eight-ball (an eighth of an ounce of methamphetamine); Raines would sell it, use the proceeds to repay defendant, and keep any profit.

In late December 1996, Raines made the mistake of keeping and using one of defendant's eight-balls. As a result, he was unable to repay the $200, so he owed defendant for it. When defendant angrily confronted him, Raines told defendant he was going to a friend's house to get the money. But Raines did not come back; instead, he started hiding out from defendant by staying with various friends, each for only a few days.

On January 15,1997, Raines was staying with a friend in Winchester. Jennifer Grundman, who lived there, and a man named Rick were also present. At about 11:30 a.m., defendant opened the front door and came in. Defendant's girlfriend, Michelle Estrada, came in behind him. Defendant was holding a revolver. He announced, "I'm going to take Danny." "He owes me money." Defendant then pointed the gun "in [Raines's] face" and said: "You're coming with me. You're going to pay your debt." Rick said, "He's not going with you." Defendant cocked his gun, pointed it at Rick, and asked, "You're willing to take a bullet for your friend?"

Defendant took Raines by the one arm; Estrada took him by the other arm. Defendant was still pointing the gun at Raines's stomach. They walked him out to defendant's car and told him to get in. Defendant's two young daughters were in the back seat. Defendant said: "You're going to get my money, mother fucker. You're going to get my money. I want my money today. You ain't leaving my sight until I get my money." Shortly after defendant began driving, he unloaded his gun and gave it to Estrada. According to Estrada, she put it in the trunk; she testified that, about two hours later, when defendant dropped her off, it was still there.

According to Raines, however, he was still afraid because Estrada, who was sitting right behind him, had the gun. About 15 minutes later, defendant reloaded the gun. While he drove, he held the gun under his right leg, pointed at Raines. He said, "Don't do anything funny, ... because the gun is pointed straight at you...." "I could shoot it at any time." Later, defendant took the gun out from under his leg and held it on his lap. He threatened to shoot Raines if he did not get his money. He also threatened several times to shoot Raines if the police got involved.

Defendant drove to a gas station in Hemet, where Raines made several calls from a pay phone in an effort to raise the money. Estrada went with him while he called. Eventually, an acquaintance named Kim Yoakum told Raines she would try to get the money for him. Defendant drove Raines to another gas station, where Raines called Yoakum again. Once again, Estrada stayed with him while he called. Some time after this, defendant dropped Estrada and their children off at a friend's house.

Yoakum tried to raise the money, but failed. Nevertheless, she agreed to meet defendant at an AM/PM mini-market and to give him the money. Defendant told Yoakum not to notify the police. Raines, too, told her not to get the police involved. Yoakum, however, called the police immediately.

After defendant and Raines arrived at the AM/PM, defendant noticed an unmarked police car. He said, "If it's a set up, I'll shoot you." As defendant was driving away, the police car pulled in front of him, blocking his path. Defendant maneuvered back-ward, then forward again, but more police cars boxed him in. Mean-while, *155 Raines jumped out of the moving car. A police officer pulled defendant out of the car and arrested him.

Inside the car, on the floorboard on the driver's side, the police found a fully loaded.357 magnum revolver. Estrada identified it as defendant's. They also found 4.9 grams of methamphetamine in the trunk.

II

PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A jury found defendant guilty of kidnapping for ransom (Pen.Code, § 209, subd. (a)), first degree burglary (Pen.Code, §§ 459, 460, subd. (a)), possession of a firearm by a convicted felon (Pen.Code, § 12021, subd. (a)(1)), transportation of methamphetamine (Health & Saf.Code, § 11379, subd. (a)), possession of methamphetamine while armed with a loaded, operable firearm (Health & Saf.Code, § 11370.1, subd. (a)), and assault with a firearm (Pen.Code, § 245, subd. (a)(2)).

The jury also found that, in the commission of the kidnapping, defendant intentionally confined the victim in a manner which either caused him to suffer bodily harm or exposed him to a substantial likelihood of death. (Pen.Code, § 209, subd. (a).) It further found that, in the commission of the kidnapping, the burglary, and the assault, defendant personally used a firearm. (Pen.Code, § 12022.5, subd. (a).) In a bifurcated proceeding, the trial court found that defendant had served five prior prison terms (Pen.Code, § 667.5, subd. (b)).

The trial court dismissed the convictions for possession of methamphetamine while armed and for assault with a firearm, all the personal firearm use allegations, and all but two of the prior prison term allegations.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
86 Cal. Rptr. 2d 151, 73 Cal. App. 4th 84, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-centers-calctapp-1999.