People v. Vindiola

96 Cal. App. 3d 370, 158 Cal. Rptr. 6, 1979 Cal. App. LEXIS 2074
CourtCalifornia Court of Appeal
DecidedAugust 8, 1979
DocketCrim. 3166
StatusPublished
Cited by22 cases

This text of 96 Cal. App. 3d 370 (People v. Vindiola) 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. Vindiola, 96 Cal. App. 3d 370, 158 Cal. Rptr. 6, 1979 Cal. App. LEXIS 2074 (Cal. Ct. App. 1979).

Opinions

Opinion

BROWN (G. A.), P. J.

Appellant, Bernard Vindiola, was convicted of second degree murder and personal use of a firearm in the commission of the offense in violation of Penal Code sections 187 and 12022.5. The cumulative effect of a number of errors commands reversal.

Facts

After midnight on July 22, 1976, the victim, T. J. McCoy, was a security guard at the Peek-a-Boo Bar in Fowler, California. There were 75 to 85 people in the bar at that time. The lighting condition in the bar was dark. Appellant, his brother, Eddie Vindiola, several sisters and some friends were there. Christina Vindiola got into a fight with her sisters, Rosie and Elena, and with Eddie’s girl friend, Martina Rocha. The victim attempted to intervene and stop the fight. In the process he was shot three times, which resulted in his death later.

After the shooting Christina Vindiola remained at the bar. She told a number of people that her brother, Eddie, had a gun and had shot the security guard.

Four prosecution witnesses testified as to what they observed happen when the victim was shot. The testimony of each witness and any inconsistencies will be discussed in turn.

Dolores Walls was employed as a barmaid at the Peek-a-Boo Bar on the night of the shooting. At the critical time she was walking back to the restroom area of the bar to talk to a member of the band. She walked past [375]*375the area where the fight was occurring. She saw a man walk from one area up to the bar to the fight. She saw the man raise his right arm and extend it straight out. She did not see whether there was anything in his hand because she was about 44 feet away from him and because there was a crowd of more than 10 people around the area where the women were fighting. The man was standing with the crowd about three to four feet from the victim when Walls heard several shots fired. She could not tell who was doing the shooting, although when the shots were fired the man had his arm pointing toward the victim. After the shots were fired she lost track of the man in the crowd.

At trial she identified appellant as being the man she saw that night. At a photo lineup she picked out appellant’s picture as the man she had seen. She testified that at a subsequent physical lineup on July 29 she identified appellant as the person who most looked like the man she had seen on that night. She had seen appellant once prior to that night.

Vaughn Donabedian was a customer at the bar on the evening of the shooting. He saw the fight begin among the women about four to six feet in front of him and saw the victim go over to break it up. He heard a shot and looked over to the area of the fight. He saw a man with an upraised, extended arm holding a gun. He saw the man fire two more shots within a foot of the victim. The man stepped back, brought the gun down to his side, started to walk out of the bar, briefly stopped and then walked out. He followed the man outside.

Once outside, an unidentified bystander said to the man in Spanish, “You have killed him.” The man ran around the north side of the bar and got into the back seat of a car containing approximately four people. It should be noted that members of appellant’s family at the trial testified that appellant was not in the back seat—he was driving the car. They testified that appellant’s brother, Eddie, who cannot drive a car, was in the back seat.

Donabedian described the man he saw as a Mexican male, about five feet ten inches tall, with a moustache and fairly long hair, black and combed straight back, reaching almost to the collar. He said he was in his late 20’s or early 30’s. Appellant is 21 years old. The man wore a white T-shirt. At trial, Donabedian identified appellant as the individual he saw.

[376]*376The day after the shooting Donabedian was shown a series of photographs which included appellant. However, he could not identify any of them as the man he had seen that evening. On July 26 he was shown a physical lineup which did not include appellant, at which he identified someone other than appellant as the man he had seen. The day after the physical lineup, Donabedian contacted the sheriff’s department and told them that he had identified the wrong person in the lineup. He also stated at that time that there was no one else in the lineup he felt was responsible.

At trial, he claimed that appellant had been in the July 26 lineup.

On July 27 Donabedian was shown a second photo lineup and identified appellant as the man described above.

Jesse Rodriguez was the owner of the bar and was working there on the night in question. He saw the fight begin among the women and observed the victim go over to break it up. He saw a man get up from one of the tables, walk to the area of the fight, and extend his right arm above the shoulder. Jesse described the man as being a Mexican male, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 10 inches, weighing 160 to 170 pounds, with black, shoulder-length hair, a few days’ growth of facial hair but no beard, who wore a white T-shirt and dark Levi’s. The man started walking toward the front of the bar when Jesse heard three or four shots. Jesse had not seen anyone actually shoot the security guard nor anyone with a gun. Jesse left to call the police and came back. He saw the same man walking toward him in the direction of the exit. The man saw Jesse and stopped. Jesse observed his hand go down to his pocket or belt. Jesse said to the man, “I seen you.” At that point the man left the bar. The man was not walking any faster than anyone else on the premises.

At trial, Jesse positively identified appellant as the man described above.

On July 23, the day after the shooting, Jesse was shown a photo lineup which included appellant’s picture but could not identify any of them as the man he had seen. On July 26 he was shown a physical lineup which did not include appellant and identified Eddie Vindiola as the man he had seen. On July 29 he attended a second physical lineup and identified appellant as the man described above.

[377]*377Ron Rodrigues was the nephew of the owner of the bar and was working there that night. He saw the fight and heard some shots. He did not see who fired the shots. After hearing the shots, he saw a man running toward the front of the bar with something that looked like a black handle protruding from his waistband. He described the man as being a Mexican male, 5 feet 7 inches to 5 feet 11 inches, weighing between 160 and 180 pounds, wearing dark trousers and a white T-shirt with a hole in it. Ron testified at trial that appellant resembled the individual he saw at the bar but could not make a positive identification. He noted that appellant looked a lot “skinnier” and “more well kept.”

Appellant is six feet one inch; Eddie is five feet nine inches.

On July 23, the day after the shooting, Ron was shown a photo lineup which included appellant’s picture. He could not identify any of them as the man he had seen. On July 26 he was shown a physical lineup which included appellant and identified Eddie Vindiola as the man he had seen.

On July 25, 1976, Eddie Vindiola was arrested for the shooting of the victim.

Christina Vindiola, a sister of appellant and Eddie Vindiola, testified that she had told officers at the bar on the night of the murder that Eddie had shot the victim because she was angiy with Eddie. Walls, Jesse Rodriguez and Donabedian were present and heard those accusations.

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

Related

People v. Lopez CA1/1
California Court of Appeal, 2022
People v. Tholl CA3
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Bennett CA4/2
California Court of Appeal, 2021
People v. Barker CA2/1
California Court of Appeal, 2015
People v. Iuvale CA4/1
California Court of Appeal, 2014
P. v. Johnson CA2/5
California Court of Appeal, 2013
P. v. Hernandez CA6
California Court of Appeal, 2013
P. v. Bonella CA1/4
California Court of Appeal, 2013
People v. Carter
70 P.3d 981 (California Supreme Court, 2003)
People v. Coleman
768 P.2d 32 (California Supreme Court, 1989)
People v. Humphries
185 Cal. App. 3d 1315 (California Court of Appeal, 1986)
People v. Palmer
154 Cal. App. 3d 79 (California Court of Appeal, 1984)
State v. Marshall
335 N.W.2d 612 (Wisconsin Supreme Court, 1983)
People v. Ramos
639 P.2d 908 (California Supreme Court, 1982)
People v. Lybrand
115 Cal. App. 3d 1 (California Court of Appeal, 1981)
People v. Fulton
109 Cal. App. 3d 777 (California Court of Appeal, 1980)
People v. Avalos
98 Cal. App. 3d 701 (California Court of Appeal, 1979)
People v. Vindiola
96 Cal. App. 3d 370 (California Court of Appeal, 1979)

Cite This Page — Counsel Stack

Bluebook (online)
96 Cal. App. 3d 370, 158 Cal. Rptr. 6, 1979 Cal. App. LEXIS 2074, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/people-v-vindiola-calctapp-1979.