Orange County Register reports that two Riverside teenage girls who murdered a woman for using her car to go to an amusement park were convicted of first degree murder, kidnapping and carjacking on Monday.
Anna Salinas, 15, and Dayana Cordova, 16, murdered a young woman Arias in Oct, 2007 and both prosecuted as adults and had separate juries. The sentencing is set for Sept. 11.
Salinas, now 17, convicted of murder on Monday. The jury of eight-woman, four-man also convicted her of child abuse and gun use.
Salinas was 15 when murder happened, as a shooter, she could be sentenced to 53 years in prison.
The co-defendant, Cordova, could go to prison for life, without the possibility of parole, because a special circumstance allegation of murder during a carjacking was brought against her. Due to the fact that they are minor then, they didn't get death penalty.
The two teens killed the woman because they want to take her car to go to Knott's Berry Farm in Orange County.
The jury got so shocked and disturbed when they viewed the video of the girls who were left alone in an interview room at the sheriff's office. They laughed about the events of the killing and the shooting while they were eating burgers and drinking sodas .
The two teenagers will face life in prison when they get back to court for sentencing on September 11.
According to California Penal Code Section 190.2, "the penalty for a defendant who is guilty of the first degree murder is death penalty or life imprisonment without the possibility of parole if one or more of the following special circumstances has been found under Section 190.4 to be true":
(1) The murder was intentional and carried out for financial gain.
(2) The defendant was convicted of a first or second degree murder before.
(3) The murder was committed by a destructive device, and the defendant knew that his/her act would create a risk of death to another person.
Some violent crimes or felonies committed by a juvenile can be treated as an adult and the case will be filed in adult court. These kind of cases are usually considered as the most violent crimes or a case that a juvenile had a serious criminal history.
It's going to be the prosecutor and the judge's decision whether to file the juvenile case in adult court.or not. A quality work from a Juvenile criminal defense attorney can make the result vary significantly. Having an experienced juvenile defense attorney to work by your side can make the difference in the criminal defense process.
If you or your loved one has been arrested for murder, homicide or manslaughter, you should consult with an aggressive Southern California Criminal Defense attorney immediately.
How Could an Orange County Criminal Attorney Help You?
If you or someone you know have been arrest or investigated for murder or homicide crimes in Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego, it is essential to consult an experienced criminal defense attorney immediately.
Southern California Criminal Defense Attorney Michael Guisti has been defending clients charged with serious crimes (such as murder or homicide) for over decades. He is very familar with procecutors, judges and law enforcement at courts throughout Southern California.
He understands the complexity of the criminal law and strategies for winning a serious case, He is committed to his clients to provide the high quality defense so that the punishment can be mimimized. .Call a skilled Orange County Criminal Defense Attorney for a free case evaluation 714-530-9690 or visit us at www.topcalifornialawyer.com.
