People v. Roberts

220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 703, 13 Cal. App. 5th 565, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 624
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal, 5th District
DecidedJuly 18, 2017
DocketD069355
StatusPublished
Cited by17 cases

This text of 220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 703 (People v. Roberts) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering California Court of Appeal, 5th District primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
People v. Roberts, 220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 703, 13 Cal. App. 5th 565, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 624 (Cal. Ct. App. 2017).

Opinion

DATO, J.

*567A jury convicted defendant Antwaren Lamont Roberts of attempted murder and related offenses arising out of an incident *705in which he shot Krystal Sharkey with a handgun. It also found that Roberts committed the crimes for the benefit of a criminal street gang within the meaning of section 186.22 of the Penal Code.1 In the published portion of this opinion, we address Roberts's contention that the California Supreme Court's recent decision in People v. Elizalde (2015) 61 Cal.4th 523, 189 Cal.Rptr.3d 518, 351 P.3d 1010 ( Elizalde ) precludes the admission of certain un-Mirandized2 statements Roberts made during custodial booking interviews in which he admitted gang membership. Although these interviews occurred years before the crimes with which Roberts is now charged, when he was under arrest for other crimes, we conclude that a Miranda violation does not evaporate with the passage of time such that the statements become cleansed and admissible *568as to future misdeeds. Accordingly, we reverse the jury's findings as to the gang enhancement. In all other respects we affirm the judgment after addressing Roberts's additional contentions in the unpublished portion of the opinion.

I

FACTUAL AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

Roberts was convicted of attempted murder in violation of sections 664 and 187, assault with a semiautomatic firearm in violation of section 245, subdivision (b), and possession of a firearm by a felon in violation of section 29800, subdivision (a)(1). As to all three counts, the jury found true the allegations that Roberts committed the crime with the intent to promote, further or assist in criminal conduct by gang members, within the meaning of section 186.22, subdivision (b)(1). The jury found his commission of the attempted murder was willful, deliberate, and premeditated within the meaning of section 189, and that he used a firearm, proximately causing great bodily injury to the victim, within the meaning of section 12022.53, subdivision (d). The jury also found Roberts personally used a firearm within the meaning of section 12022.5, subdivision (a), and personally inflicted great bodily harm upon the victim within the meaning of section 12022.7, subdivision (a), in connection with the assault with a semiautomatic firearm. The trial court sentenced Roberts to a determinate term of five years in state prison and a consecutive term of 40 years to life.

A. The Shooting

Sharkey, who had ties to the West Coast Crips (WCC) street gang, was playing dice in downtown San Diego when Roberts, known as "Scrappy," shot her twice in the chest. In addition to Sharkey's trial identification of Roberts as the shooter, Sharkey also told a police officer immediately after the shooting (while at a hospital prior to surgery) that "Scrappy" shot her.

Laticia Nelson was standing with the group of dice players when Sharkey arrived and joined the dice game. Nelson testified Roberts approached the group of dice players and stood with the group for a while. Roberts, who Nelson knew but not very well, briefly spoke to Nelson and then pulled a gun from his pocket and shot Sharkey. In addition to her trial identification of Roberts as the shooter, Nelson was shown some photographs by a police *569officer within an hour after the shooting and identified Roberts's photograph, telling the officer she was 100 percent sure Roberts *706was the shooter.3

A third witness saw Roberts run from the scene just after the shooting and jump into a white car or truck. A fourth witness, a security guard, could not identify the shooter but saw a black male flee from the scene and get into a white pickup truck.

B. The Alleged Motive

One month before Sharkey was shot, police were investigating the murder of Chyrene Borgen. Roberts and Borgen had been involved in a romantic relationship that Borgen was working to terminate. Sharkey, a friend of Borgen's, believed Roberts was involved with Borgen's murder.

Sharkey was at Borgen's residence on November 1, 2013, when police arrived to notify Borgen's family of her death. At that time Sharkey met Detective Lee Norton, the investigating detective. Norton worked to foster trust with Sharkey, and about 10 days later Sharkey "reached out" to police with information about Borgen's murder

During that same time frame, Sharkey encountered Roberts at a memorial for Borgen. Roberts warned Sharkey that two other WCC members were out to get her. However, Sharkey had a developing suspicion Roberts was involved in Borgen's murder and told Borgen's sister of her suspicion. A few days before Borgen's funeral, Sharkey again encountered Roberts. Roberts angrily told Sharkey he had heard that Sharkey had accused him of being the last person to see Borgen alive. Sharkey claimed that Roberts pointed a gun at her face and said something to the effect of, "[k]eep my name out of your mouth." Roberts's act of pointing the gun at her infuriated Sharkey, who felt extremely disrespected by the act.

Sharkey subsequently saw Roberts at Borgen's funeral on November 18, 2013. Sharkey stared at Roberts during the funeral, and Roberts angrily returned the stare, mouthing the words, "I'm going to kill you." This further infuriated Sharkey, who again perceived Roberts's actions as disrespectful.

On learning that Roberts would be at a kind of wake attended primarily by WCC members, Sharkey decided to go and confront him about his threats to *570her. When Roberts came in and began laughing and socializing, Sharkey walked up and hit him in the face with a chain. Roberts was enraged. He pulled out a gun and told Sharkey he was going to kill her, and he ultimately left without further incident.

Sharkey believed Roberts would seek revenge. "[H]e wanted his get back from me hitting him with that chain." Sharkey was shot approximately two weeks later.

C. The Gang Evidence

The prosecution's gang expert on the WCC, San Diego Police Department Detective Juan Cisneros, had never heard of Roberts being a member or associate in WCC prior to Borgen's murder, but nevertheless opined Roberts was a member of the WCC gang.4 Cisneros apparently *707based his opinion on several indicia. First, after a defense in limine motion was overruled, Cisneros testified that Roberts admitted his association with WCC during jailhouse intake interviews in 2004 and 2006.

Free access — add to your briefcase to read the full text and ask questions with AI

Related

People v. Zuniga CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2026
People v. Zapata
California Court of Appeal, 2026
People v. Martinez CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Pardo CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2025
People v. Ramirez CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2024
People v. Ramirez CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Ulloa CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Villasenor CA5
California Court of Appeal, 2023
People v. Herrera CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Christopher CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Ybarra CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Saucedo CA2/3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Fields CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Tousant
California Court of Appeal, 2021
In re J.W.
California Court of Appeal, 2020
People v. Thompkins
California Court of Appeal, 2020
People v. Thomkins
California Court of Appeal, 2020

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
220 Cal. Rptr. 3d 703, 13 Cal. App. 5th 565, 2017 Cal. App. LEXIS 624, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-roberts-calctapp5d-2017.