People v. Cueto CA4/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedApril 8, 2016
DocketD067769
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Cueto CA4/1 (People v. Cueto CA4/1) 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. Cueto CA4/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2016).

Opinion

Filed 4/8/16 P. v. Cueto CA4/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

COURT OF APPEAL, FOURTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION ONE

STATE OF CALIFORNIA

THE PEOPLE, D067769

Plaintiff and Respondent,

v. (Super. Ct. No. SCE337573)

ODLENAIR CUETO,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of San Diego County,

John M. Thompson, Judge. Affirmed.

Charles R. Khoury, Jr., under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant

and Appellant.

Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney

General, Julie L. Garland, Assistant Attorney General, A. Natasha Cortina, Alastair J.

Agcaoili and Minh U. Le, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. I.

INTRODUCTION

After a bench trial, the trial court found Odlenair Cueto guilty of two counts of

assault with a deadly weapon (Pen. Code, § 245, subd. (a)(1)1 (counts 3 and 4) and found

true three great bodily injury enhancement allegations (§ 12022.7, subd. (a)) associated

with respect to each count.2 The trial court also found Cueto guilty of reckless driving

(Veh. Code, § 23103, subd. (a)) (count 5). The court sentenced Cueto to an aggregate

term of 13 years in prison, consisting of the upper term of 4 years on count 3, and three

consecutive terms of 3 years each for the three great bodily injury enhancements

associated with count 3.3

On appeal, Cueto claims that there is insufficient evidence in the record to support

the trial court's guilty verdicts on the assault with a deadly weapon counts (§ 245, subd.

(a)(1)) (counts 3 and 4) and the trial court's great bodily injury enhancement findings

(§ 12022.7, subd. (a)) (counts 3 and 4). Cueto also claims that the trial court erred in

admitting certain hearsay evidence, and that any failure by defense counsel to adequately

object to the admission of the hearsay evidence constituted ineffective assistance of

counsel. We affirm the judgment.

1 Unless otherwise specified, all subsequent statutory references are to the Penal Code. 2 During the trial, the trial court granted Cueto's motion for acquittal with respect to two counts of attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a)) (counts 1 and 2). 3 The court sentenced Cueto on the remaining substantive offenses and enhancements in this case to various terms, all to be served concurrently with the 13-year term imposed on count 3. In addition, the court imposed a four-year sentence for a conviction in another case, to be served concurrently with the sentence in this case. 2 II.

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

A. The People's evidence

On January 6, 2014, John Sagan (John) was driving a motor home westbound on

Interstate 8 near Pine Valley in the right or "slow" lane. John's wife, Ramona Sagan

(Ramona), and their three daughters Renee, Roisin, and Genevieve, were also traveling in

the motor home. As the motor home drove up a hill on the highway, John noticed a

large, white sports utility vehicle (SUV) traveling behind them. Cueto was driving the

SUV.

Cueto stayed behind the Sagans and matched their speed. John believed that the

SUV was "obviously following" the motor home. Cueto then accelerated forward,

coming within inches of the back of the motor home. John told Ramona that something

was "seriously wrong," and asked her to have her phone ready in case "something

happen[ed]." John also asked Ramona to look out the back window to attempt to see the

SUV's license plate. Ramona moved to the back window of the motor home to view the

SUV and told John that the SUV did not have a front license plate. Cueto continued to

follow the Sagans at an unsafe distance for several minutes.

Cueto slowed down and began to travel farther behind the Sagans' motor home.

John thought that the incident was over. Suddenly, Cueto accelerated to a speed

3 approaching 100 miles per hour and struck the motor home from behind. The motor

home lurched forward "violently." John's wife and children screamed. John directed his

children to get on the floor of the motor home because he thought that would be the safest

place for them to be in case of a collision. John accelerated, hoping that Cueto would

stop following them.

Immediately after striking the motor home from the rear, Cueto moved into the lane

next to the motor home and, within five to seven seconds, positioned his SUV parallel to

the Sagans' motor home. Cueto drove next to the motor home for one to two seconds,

and then looked at John through the motor home's driver's side window. John saw Cueto

"take the steering wheel and just crank it to the far right." It appeared to John that

Cueto's action in causing the SUV to turn into his lane was an "extremely deliberate" act.

The SUV entered the Sagans' lane and collided with the motor home. The collision

forced the motor home off the road and down a cliff that paralleled the highway.

Martin Parish, who was driving behind the SUV and the motor home, testified that

just before the crash, he saw the SUV "ma[k]e a sharp right turn in front of the motor

home." Parrish stated that "there was nothing to indicate [Cueto] lost control of the

vehicle" prior to the crash.

California Highway Patrol officer and trained accident reconstructionist, Wellington

Bargar, responded to the scene. Based on his investigation, Officer Bargar concluded

that Cueto's act in causing his vehicle to collide with the Sagans' motor home was "an

4 intentional act." Bargar also determined that the damage to the motor home was

consistent with being rear-ended and then struck again before being forced off the road.

As a result of the collision, John, Ramona, and Roisin all suffered injuries, as

described in detail in part III.B, post.

B. The defense

Cueto testified in his own defense. He admitted that he was the driver of the SUV

involved in the collision. Cueto explained that he decided to drive to Arizona on the day

before the incident because he was "being delusional" and he "thought somebody was out

to get [him]." Cueto acknowledged that he was supposed to be taking various

medications on the day in question, but said that he stopped taking the medications

because they were causing him discomfort in his joints.

Cueto stated that shortly after crossing the Arizona border, he parked at a hotel

and took a nap. After the nap, he decided to drive back to California. According to

Cueto, while driving back toward San Diego on Interstate 8 West, he fell asleep at the

wheel and rear-ended the Sagans' motor home. Shortly after rear-ending the motor home,

Cueto attempted to pass the motor home. According to Cueto, as he drove next to the

motor home, his tire blew out, causing him to lose control of his SUV and crash into the

Sagans' motor home. Cueto denied that he intentionally caused his vehicle to strike the

motor home.

5 III.

DISCUSSION

A. There is sufficient evidence in the record to support the trial court's guilty verdicts on the assault with a deadly weapon counts

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People v. Cueto CA4/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-cueto-ca41-calctapp-2016.