People v. Perez CA2/1

CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 23, 2022
DocketB314137
StatusUnpublished

This text of People v. Perez CA2/1 (People v. Perez CA2/1) 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. Perez CA2/1, (Cal. Ct. App. 2022).

Opinion

Filed 8/23/22 P. v. Perez CA2/1 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS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 This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.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 ONE

THE PEOPLE, B314137

Plaintiff and Respondent, (Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. MA072383) v.

JORGE PEREZ

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Kathleen Blanchard, Judge. Affirmed in part and reversed in part. Leslie Conrad, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant. Rob Bonta, Attorney General, Lance E. Winters, Chief Assistant Attorney General, Susan Sullivan Pithey, Assistant Attorney General, Michael R. Johnsen and Yun K. Lee, Deputy Attorneys General, for Plaintiff and Respondent. ____________________________ Jurors convicted defendant Jorge Perez and his confederate Jovanny Gonzalez of the murder of Armando Reyes and the attempted murder of Reyes’s girlfriend S.B. S.B. drove Reyes to the scene of the shooting, and Perez drove Gonzalez. Gonzalez shot Reyes as he stepped out of S.B.’s car. Perez and Gonzalez were upset with Reyes because Reyes had insulted their gang. In a prior appeal we reversed Perez’s conviction for the attempted murder of S.B. and remanded for resentencing. The People elected not to retry defendant on the attempted murder charge, and the trial court resentenced him on convictions for murder and shooting at an occupied vehicle. For both counts, the new sentence included gang and gang-related firearm enhancements. After defendant’s resentencing, the Legislature amended the law concerning the gang and gang-related firearm enhancements. On appeal, defendant argues that because his conviction is not yet final, he is entitled to the ameliorative changes in the law. The People agree that remand is necessary for a new trial on the enhancements. We vacate the gang and gang-related firearm enhancements. In all other respects, we affirm the judgment of conviction. Upon remand, the People may retry the gang and gang-related firearm enhancements under the new statutory requirements.

FACTUAL BACKGROUND1 Reyes was a high-ranking member of the Palmas 13 Kings gang, an Antelope Valley gang. Omar Olivares also was a Palmas 13 gang member. Reyes and Olivares often used

1 We previously described the underlying facts (People v. Gonzalez et al. (Apr. 10, 2020, B296206) [nonpub. opn.]) and repeat that factual description here.

2 methamphetamine together. In June 2017, S.B. was Reyes’s girlfriend. Gonzalez and Perez were members of the Midtown Criminals, also known as MTC, another gang in the Antelope Valley. Perez’s moniker was Squeeks (also spelled Squeaks).

1. June 3, 2017 S.B. drove Reyes to pick up Perez. Reyes wanted Perez, a tattoo artist, to tattoo him. Olivares was in the backseat of S.B.’s car. After they picked up Perez, S.B. did not see Perez from the driver seat because Reyes was aggressive with her when she tried to look at Perez. Before they reached a location where Perez could tattoo Reyes, Reyes and Olivares argued. The argument concerned whether Olivares stole Reyes’s stash of methamphetamine. Reyes told S.B. to stop the car to drop off Olivares. S.B. refused until the group reached a gas station in Rosamond, where she stopped the car. Reyes told Olivares to exit the car. Olivares exited, and Perez followed even though Reyes had not told Perez to leave the car. Perez was “irritated” that Reyes left him and Olivares at the gas station.

2. Reyes and Perez’s June 4, 2017 Facebook messages On June 4, 2017, Reyes and Perez had the following colloquy on Facebook:2 Reyes: “I need my money or tatt or I can make things really bad.”

2 By quoting these messages, we do not condone the vulgar and derogatory language in the messages.

3 Perez: “After u doped me off in Rosamond? . . . now u wanna treated me?” Reyes: “I do what I want when I want.” Perez: “Not around my parts.” Reyes: “. . . Foo I’m a dangerous azz enemie to have.” The colloquy continued: Perez: “Look foo u can miss me with the fake politics bullshit . . . I ain’t with that shit . . . wanna treated me with the light? . . . . go ahead I dare u.” Reyes: “Fuck u then and mantecas ol turn down ass foos that’s why u got dissed and didn’t do shit.” Reyes repeated, “Fuck mantecas” and Perez wrote, “Fuckin p.c.” Perez testified mantecas meant lard. Eventually Reyes said, “Fuck ur dead homies.” Perez testified that Reyes’s comment “[f]uck your dead homies” was an insult. During their conversation, Perez told Reyes, “Come over and stop wolfing.” Perez testified that meant “[s]top messaging me talking shit.” Perez told Reyes, “U ain’t bout shit but running ur mouth,” and instructed him, “COME OVER BITCH.” Then the following colloquy occurred: Perez: “I fuckin dare u.” Reyes: “U ain’t bout that.” Peres: “Come and see.” Reyes: “I woulda smoked u.” Perez told Reyes, “Don’t be a lame,” and Reyes said, “Like I said fuckkkkk mtc” and repeated multiple times “Fuck mtc.” Reyes also repeated the insult “fuck ur dead homies.” Perez showed his conversation with Reyes to Perez’s fellow MTC gang members with monikers Menace and Blue. All three were upset about Reyes’s insults. Later Perez showed the

4 messages to “Mousey,” another MTC member who wanted to fight Reyes because of the messages. Perez asked Reyes his location so that Mousey could fight Reyes. Perez testified that he sent the Facebook messages to Reyes because he did not want to appear weak in front of his gang members. Reyes’s last message to Perez said, “I’m pulling up.” The only reference in the texts to S.B., was Perez’s comment, “Tell ur fat ugly bitch . . . I said thanks for the ride.”

3. June 4, 2017 shooting of Reyes Reyes went to a tattoo shop and obtained his tattoo from someone other than Perez. Reyes also smoked methamphetamine. S.B. and Reyes went to Reyes’s brother’s house, where they drank several drinks. S.B. overheard Reyes tell his brother that he would handle something one-on-one. S.B. did not know what Reyes intended to handle one-on-one. Shortly afterwards Gonzalez shot Reyes.

4. S.B.’s description of the shooting As S.B. was driving Reyes home, Reyes spotted a white Honda. The car was stopped in the middle of the street. S.B. and Reyes approached the stopped car, and the driver sped off. The white Honda had a dealer license plate. Reyes told S.B. to follow the white car. S.B. did not want to follow the white Honda, but Reyes insisted that she follow it. S.B. made a U-turn and followed the white car. The white Honda stopped. As S.B. pulled up alongside the white Honda, Reyes exchanged words with its occupants. Reyes was positioned closer to the white Honda than S.B. Reyes announced his gang name. Someone in the white Honda said MTC. Reyes put one foot out of the car, and it looked

5 like he was getting out. Then he exited S.B.’s car and said he wanted to fight. Then S.B. heard gunshots.3 The gunshots occurred seconds after Reyes exited S.B.’s car. No gunshot hit S.B. Either Perez or Gonzalez said, “[T]hat’s what you get.” Reyes jumped into the car and told S.B. to get down and drive away. Reyes said, “Go, leave,” after the gunshots. S.B. drove to the next street where Reyes stopped breathing. S.B. planned to take Reyes to the hospital “but then he stopped breathing” and she “knew [she] couldn’t make it.” People helped Reyes out of the car and a nurse in the neighborhood tried to revive him, but according to S.B., “[H]e was already gone.” S.B. asked someone to call 911. In the 911 call, S.B.

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Bluebook (online)
People v. Perez CA2/1, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-perez-ca21-calctapp-2022.