People v. Rios

222 Cal. App. 4th 542, 165 Cal. Rptr. 3d 687, 2013 WL 6710328, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 1033
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedDecember 20, 2013
DocketH038487
StatusPublished
Cited by130 cases

This text of 222 Cal. App. 4th 542 (People v. Rios) 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. Rios, 222 Cal. App. 4th 542, 165 Cal. Rptr. 3d 687, 2013 WL 6710328, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 1033 (Cal. Ct. App. 2013).

Opinion

Opinion

MÁRQUEZ, J.

Defendant Jose Rios was convicted by jury of one count of carrying a loaded firearm in a vehicle (Pen. Code, former § 12031, subd. (a)(1); 1 count 1), one count of vehicle theft (Veh. Code, § 10851, subd. (a); count 3), and one count of street terrorism (§ 186.22, subd. (a); count 4). The jury also found true enhancement allegations that defendant was not the registered owner of the firearm (former § 12031, subd. (a)(2)(F); enhancement to count 1) and that he carried the loaded firearm and committed the vehicle theft for the benefit of a criminal street gang (§ 186.22, subd. (b); enhancements to counts 1 and 3). The jury was unable to reach a verdict on the allegation in count 2 that defendant carried a concealed firearm in a vehicle within the meaning of former section 12025, subdivision (a)(3); the court declared a mistrial on that count.

Based on the Supreme Court’s holding in People v. Rodriguez (2012) 55 Cal.4th 1125 [150 Cal.Rptr.3d 533, 290 P.3d 1143] (Rodriguez) that a person who acts alone cannot be convicted of street terrorism (§ 186.22, subd. (a)), defendant argues that his conviction on the street terrorism count must be reversed since there was no evidence he acted with other gang members. We agree and accept the Attorney General’s concession on this issue. Defendant contends further that Rodriguez also applies to gang enhancements (§ 186.22, subd. (b)) and that the true findings on the gang enhancements must be reversed because there was no evidence that he committed the offenses in *546 counts 1 and 3 with other gang members. We will conclude that the holding in Rodriguez—that a lone actor cannot violate section 186.22, subdivision (a)—does not apply to the separate enhancement set forth in section 186.22, subdivision (b), which enhances punishment when a defendant is found, among other things, to have acted with the specific intent to further, promote or assist in criminal conduct by gang members. But we agree with defendant’s contention that there was insufficient evidence to support the gang enhancements (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1)) in this case. In light of our conclusions, we need not address defendant’s instructional error claims. Defendant also contends that the court erred when it imposed a second restitution fine (§ 1202.4), a second court facilities assessment (Gov. Code, § 70373), a second court security fee (§ 1465.8, subd. (a)(1)), and when it calculated the amount of the parole revocation restitution fine (§ 1202.45). We agree that there were errors regarding those fines and fees. In light of our conclusions, we will strike the conviction for street terrorism (§ 186.22, subd. (a); count 4) and the true findings on the gang enhancements (§ 186.22, subd. (b)(1); counts 1 and 3), reverse the judgment, and remand to the trial court for resentencing and to correct the errors in the fines and fees.

Facts

Prosecution Case

Testimony of Maria Garcia and Jacqueline Andrade

In December 2010, Maria Garcia drove her Chrysler New Yorker with Idaho plates (the Chrysler) from Sun Valley, Idaho, to Sacramento, California, where her son was attending college. Garcia’s close family friend, Jacqueline Andrade, met Garcia in Sacramento. Andrade needed a car and was considering buying the Chrysler. Garcia gave Andrade permission to take the car to her home in Salinas for a “test drive” and to show it to her (Andrade’s) husband.

Before giving the car to Andrade, Garcia removed her personal belongings from the car. She left the owner’s manual, registration card, and identification cards that belonged to her son, Jose Ramirez, in the glove box. She did not leave any clothing in the passenger compartment, but may have left some of her son’s clothing in the trunk.

Andrade drove the car to Salinas on December 24, 2010. The following day, Andrade hosted a Christmas party at her house. There were about 30 people at the party; Andrade knew only 12 or 13 of them; the rest were friends of her guests. Before the party, Andrade washed the Chrysler; she also vacuumed the interior of the car, including under the seats. She testified that *547 there was nothing in the passenger compartment except for photos and paperwork in the glove box.

Andrade’s party lasted until 4:00 a.m. on December 26, 2010. After awakening around noon that day, Andrade discovered that the Chrysler and the car keys were gone. She had left the car keys on her kitchen counter and last saw the car around 4:30 p.m. the day before. Andrade called the police and reported that the Chrysler had been stolen.

Testimony of Officer Lopez and Maria Magana

At 11:30 p.m. on December 25, 2010, California Highway Patrol (CHP) Officer Pablo Lopez and his partner, Officer Hamilton, were traveling on Williams Road in Salinas in a marked car when they saw the Chrysler at the intersection of Williams Road and Alma Avenue with a cracked windshield. 2 Since a cracked windshield is a Vehicle Code violation, the officers decided to make a traffic stop. Lopez testified that defendant, who was wearing a black baseball cap, was driving the car. Neither Andrade nor Garcia knew defendant. They did not give defendant permission to drive the Chrysler.

The officers followed the Chrysler for approximately 10 blocks along a circuitous route that suggests defendant was trying to evade the officers. Along the way, defendant made a wide right turn onto northbound First Avenue and drove partly in the southbound lane, on the wrong side of the road. Officer Hamilton was driving; as soon as he turned on his emergency lights, defendant turned right onto Saint Joseph Circle, a cul-de-sac. Defendant made a U-turn at the end of the cul-de-sac, parked in front of 11 Saint Joseph Circle, and turned off the car’s headlights. Defendant then pulled the car into the driveway of 6 Saint Joseph Circle. He stepped out of the car and walked toward the front door of the house. Just before he got to the door, defendant turned and walked toward First Avenue, where the officers had parked their car.

The officers approached defendant and told him they were stopping him for the cracked windshield and driving on the wrong side of the road. Defendant said he was 18 and they could not search him. Defendant gave the officers a false name (Juan Rios) and a false date of birth. Defendant told the officers he did not have a driver’s license or identification. Officer Lopez ran the information defendant gave him through dispatch and was told that no driver’s license had been issued to that person.

When Officer Lopez asked defendant why he was driving so recklessly, defendant denied that he was driving the car, claiming instead that his *548 girlfriend was driving. Officer Lopez had not seen anyone else in the car or exiting the car, so he asked defendant to provide his girlfriend’s name and her whereabouts. Defendant did not give the officer his girlfriend’s name, but said she was at her home at 6 Saint Joseph Circle.

Officer Lopez knocked on the door of 6 Saint Joseph Circle and spoke to Maria Magana.

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Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
222 Cal. App. 4th 542, 165 Cal. Rptr. 3d 687, 2013 WL 6710328, 2013 Cal. App. LEXIS 1033, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-rios-calctapp-2013.