People v. Gonzalez CA5

California Court of Appeal·Decided July 24, 2024·No. F085805·Unpublished

Opinion

Filed 7/24/24 P. v. Gonzalez CA5

NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

FIFTH APPELLATE DISTRICT

THE PEOPLE, F085805 Plaintiff and Respondent, (Super. Ct. No. F21906587) v.

MISAEL GONZALEZ, OPINION Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Fresno County. Timothy A. Kams, Judge. Law Office of Nicco Capozzi and Nicholas Anthony Capozzi for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Michael P. Farrell, Assistant Attorney General, Louis M. Vasquez, Amanda D. Cary, and Hannah Janigian Chavez, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. -ooOoo- Defendant Misael Gonzalez was convicted of one count of attempted premeditated murder, three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling, and related offenses stemming from a gang-related shooting spree. The jury also found gang enhancement allegations true. He was sentenced to a total term of 85 years to life plus 15 years. He raises three contentions on appeal. He first contends the trial court violated Penal Code section 11091 by allowing some gang evidence in the first phase of his bifurcated trial. He also argues the court erred in denying his motion for a separate trial or jury from his codefendant. He also contends the court committed sentencing error under amended section 1385. We affirm, but we order the abstract of judgment amended to correct discrepancies between it and the oral pronouncement of judgment. STATEMENT OF THE CASE The Fresno County District Attorney filed a third amended information charging Gonzalez with attempted premeditated murder (§§ 664/187, subd. (a); count 1); three counts of shooting at an inhabited dwelling (§ 246; counts 2, 5, & 6); possession of a firearm by a felon (§ 29800, subd. (a)(1); count 7); carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle (§ 25400, subd. (a)(1); count 8); carrying a loaded firearm in public (§ 25850, subd. (a); count 9); and street terrorism (§ 186.22, subd. (a); count 14). Counts 3, 4, 10, 11, 12, and 13 charged only Gonzalez’s codefendant, David Sanchez. As to counts 1 and 2, it was alleged Gonzalez and/or Sanchez personally and intentionally discharged a firearm which proximately caused great bodily injury or death. (§ 12022.53, subds. (d) & (e)(1).) As to counts 1, 7, 8, and 9, it was alleged the offense was committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with the criminal street gang, Eastside Fresno/Fifth Street Bulldogs, with the specific intent to promote, further, or assist in criminal conduct by gang members. (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1).) As to counts 2, 5, and 6, it was alleged the offense was committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with the criminal street gang, Eastside Fresno/Fifth Street Bulldogs, with the

1 Undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2. specific intent to promote, further, or assist in criminal conduct by gang members. (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(4)(B).) As to counts 8 and 9, it was alleged that Gonzalez was an active participant in a criminal street gang. (§§ 25400, subd. (c)(3), 25850, subd. (c)(3).) Also as to counts 8 and 9, it was alleged Gonzalez had suffered two prior felony convictions (§§ 25400, subd. (c)(1), 25850, subd. (c)(1)). The information also generally alleged that Gonzalez had suffered a prior strike conviction within the meaning of the Three Strikes law (§ 667, subds. (b)–(i)) and a prior serious felony conviction (§ 667, subd. (a)(1)). The trial court granted Gonzalez’s motion under section 1109 to separately try his gang enhancement allegations and the street terrorism count from the rest of the charges. Gonzalez and Sanchez were tried together before the same jury; Sanchez is not party to this appeal. A jury found Gonzalez guilty as charged on counts 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9. As to count 1, the jury found the attempted murder was done willfully and with premeditation and deliberation. In bifurcated proceedings, the court found Gonzalez guilty of count 14 (street terrorism) and found true all enhancement allegations except for the gang enhancement attached to count 5. On February 7, 2023, Gonzalez was sentenced to a total term of 85 years to life plus 15 years.

3. FACTS I. Prosecution’s case A. First shooting On May 26, 2020,2 M.L. lived in a house in Fresno with his two children. Around 2:30 a.m., M.L.’s son heard a car stop in front of their house and people knocking on the door. M.L., who was asleep on the couch, heard the knocking, yelled, “Who is it?” and was met with cursing and demands for “Richie” and “Sonny.” M.L. informed them they had the wrong house, but they cursed and pounded on the door. M.L. backed away, sensing danger, and was shot through the door; the bullet entered above his right eye. His son hid under his bed and called 911. His daughter, hearing the noise, took cover after hearing gunshots and glass shattering. His son and daughter emerged to help their father, who was bleeding and had lost vision in his right eye. A police officer responded, locating a surveillance camera that captured a white Dodge speeding away. Eight expended .45-caliber shell casings were recovered. B. Second shooting Also on May 26, L.C. lived at a home in Fresno and discovered a shooting had occurred when he viewed surveillance footage showing a white car shooting at his house. The house was damaged, but no one was harmed. He emailed the footage to detectives. C. Third shooting J.H. lived at a home in Fresno. Around 5:30 a.m. on May 26, he woke up to knocking and gunshots. He and his girlfriend took cover. He found bullet holes in his couch and wall. Surveillance footage showed a white car and two men shooting after knocking. Bullet holes and four shell casings were found outside. About a year earlier, J.H. was walking to a store across the street from his house when two men approached him. One of them asked, “What’s up dog?”, which made J.H.

2 All references to dates are to the year 2020 unless otherwise noted.

4. believe the man was “gang banging” on him. A few minutes later, J.H. left the store and saw the two men surrounding another man. As he walked home, he heard gunshots and started running. He was then shot in the leg. J.H. spoke with police when they arrived on scene. D. Police investigation In the early morning hours of May 26, Deputy Todd Burk was patrolling the area covering J.H.’s home. Around 3:30 a.m., he found a white Dodge Dart parked at the curb with its brake lights on. He saw people in the car and described the man in the driver’s seat as a young Hispanic male. Deputy Burk ran the license plates on the car and learned the car was registered to J.O.T., who did not live in the area. On May 26, around 6:00 a.m., Detective Ryan Rockwell responded to the third shooting, at J.H.’s home. He watched the surveillance videos captured by J.H.’s camera. While investigating that shooting, he received information from the Fresno County Sheriff about the white Dodge Dart that Deputy Burk encountered. Detective Rockwell went to the registered owner’s address and left his business card since no one answered. Detective Rockwell spoke with the Dart’s registered owner, J.O.T., the next day. J.O.T. said his daughter, G.T., drove the car. Detective Rockwell went to where G.T. worked and found the car in the back parking lot. He went inside and spoke with G.T., who said that her sister, M.B., had her car during the time frame of the shootings. M.B. also worked at the same place, so Detective Rockwell spoke with her.

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