People v. Parra CA2/5

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedJune 29, 2015
DocketB253225
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Parra CA2/5 (People v. Parra CA2/5) 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. Parra CA2/5, (Cal. Ct. App. 2015).

Opinion

Filed 6/29/15 P. v. Parra CA2/5 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION FIVE

THE PEOPLE, B253225

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. A702799) v.

RAYMOND JESS PARRA,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County. Daniel B. Feldstern, Judge. Affirmed as modified. Mark Yanis, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Kamala D. Harris, Attorney General, Gerald A. Engler, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Senior Assistant Attorney General, Steven D. Matthews, Supervising Deputy Attorney General, Blythe J. Leszkay, Deputy Attorney General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. _________________________ The jury convicted defendant and appellant Raymond Jess Parra in count 1 of conspiracy to commit kidnapping and assault with a firearm (Pen. Code, § 182),1 first degree murder in count 2 (§ 187), kidnapping in count 3 (§ 207, subd. (a)), conspiracy to commit murder in count 5 (§ 182), and assault with a firearm in count 6 (§ 245, subd. (a)(2)).2 The jury found true the special allegation that defendant committed the murder while engaged in the crime of kidnapping. As to all counts the jury found true that defendant personally used a firearm (§ 12022.5), and a principal was armed with a firearm (§ 12022, subd. (a)(1)). The trial court sentenced defendant for the murder in count 2 to life in prison without parole, plus a two-year enhancement pursuant to section 12022.5, and a one-year enhancement pursuant to section 12022, subdivision (a)(1), with the latter enhancement stayed under section 654. It imposed and stayed the following sentences as to the remaining counts: the upper term of eight years in each of counts 1 and 3 (§§ 182 & 207, subd. (a), respectively), 25-years-to-life in count 5 (§ 182), and the upper term of four years in count 6 (§ 245, subd. (a)(2)). As to each of counts 1, 3, 5, and 6, it imposed and stayed a two-year enhancement pursuant to section 12022.5, plus a one-year enhancement pursuant to section 12022, subdivision (a)(1). Defendant contends on appeal as follows: (1) he was convicted of first degree murder on an invalid theory of culpability; (2) the court failed to instruct the jury that it must find the murder was committed to advance the kidnapping; (3) the court failed to instruct the jury that it must find the prosecution proved each element of the charged offenses beyond a reasonable doubt; and (4) the court improperly imposed a parole revocation fee. The Attorney General concedes, and we agree, that the parole revocation fee was unauthorized and must be stricken. Additionally, our review of the record disclosed that the abstract of judgment did not conform to the oral pronouncement of judgment. After

1 All statutory references are to the Penal Code, unless otherwise stated.

2 The trial court dismissed count 4.

2 reviewing the parties’ supplemental briefing on this issue, we conclude that the abstract of judgment must be corrected to properly reflect the trial court’s oral pronouncement. We affirm the judgment as modified.

FACTS3

Defendant and five other members of the San Fer gang abducted and killed Ruben Cruz on Halloween night in 1984.

Co-participant Testimony

Jesus Robles and Robert Ontiveros testified against defendant at trial. On the night of Cruz’s murder, defendant led Robles, Ontiveros, brothers Benny and Michael L., and Ronnie Luna, into rival Pacoima gang territory, looking for a fight. They drove into Pacoima in Ontiveros’s primer red Chevy Luv pickup truck, which had a camper shell covering the back. They stopped at an AM/PM store, where defendant approached Sol Trece gang members and displayed a handgun. One of the gang members testified that defendant asked them if they were from Pacoima. They said they were not, and defendant responded that was a good thing. He showed them a black revolver, which was tucked into his waistband. While this was happening, Benny, Michael, and Luna approached Cruz, who defendant had told them was from Pacoima. Cruz ran. They chased him on foot, and Ontiveros followed in the truck. They caught Cruz, threw him into the back of the truck, and went back to the AM/PM. Defendant and Benny rode in the front of the truck with Ontiveros. Michael, Luna, and Robles were in the back with Cruz. They kicked him, burned him with

3 Defendant did not present witnesses or evidence in his defense.

3 cigarettes, and threatened to “teach him a lesson.” Defendant told Ontiveros to drive toward Sylmar. He said they were going to let Cruz go. Defendant told Ontiveros to stop at the intersection of Interstate 5 and Old San Fernando Road. Defendant and Benny, who was 15 years old at the time, got Cruz out of the back of the truck and led him into a canyon off the side of the road. Ten minutes later they returned alone. Benny said that he shot Cruz. They all went to defendant’s house. Defendant told the other gang members not to say anything to anyone. About three days later, defendant, Ontiveros, and Benny returned to the canyon because defendant wanted to bury the body. Cruz was naked. Defendant had ordered him to strip before he was killed. Defendant and Benny burned Cruz’s clothes sometime between the murder and the burial. Ontiveros helped defendant cover the body with dirt while Benny waited in the truck. A few days later, defendant told Ontiveros to pick him up. The two went to Ontiveros’s house and used a torch to melt down the gun. They hid the camper shell at the house of one of defendant’s relatives.

Additional Testimony

Cruz’s sister, Priscilla, and her boyfriend, Edward Shirley, witnessed part of the attack. Cruz had been at Shirley’s apartment with his sister earlier that night. Shirley heard fighting outside and looked out the window. He saw three men kicking and hitting someone on the ground, and another man pointing a gun at the group. One of the men said, “Put him in the truck.” Shirley recognized the person being assaulted as Cruz. Cruz was trying to fight back and get away, but the group dragged him toward the truck. It was primer red and had a camper on the back. The man with the gun was holding it to Cruz’s head as the others dragged Cruz toward the back of the vehicle. Shirley awakened Cruz’s sister. They saw Cruz get away from the group and run. Priscilla saw four or five men chasing her brother. Shirley saw two men chasing Cruz on foot with the truck following behind them. Priscilla went downstairs and saw the men at the AM/PM standing around the primer red truck with a camper shell. She recognized

4 Benny. She recognized another group of men, so she asked them if they had seen Cruz. They responded that they had not. The group belonged to the Sun Valley or Sol Trece gang. Shirley was also a Sol Trece member. The two groups argued. Priscilla saw one of the men around the truck lift up his shirt to display a gun in his waistband. After that, both groups left. Priscilla continued to look for her brother. At some point someone called the police.

The Investigation

Police arrested Ontiveros about two weeks after the murder. They questioned him about his truck, which no longer had the camper shell on it. Ontiveros initially lied about the location of the camper shell and his participation in the crimes, but later told the truth.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Parra CA2/5, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-parra-ca25-calctapp-2015.