Close X

Man Convicted of South Pasadena Murder in 2009

Posted by Fay Arfa | Jul 18, 2017 | 0 Comments

A 41-year-old man was convicted today of fatally shooting his friend in the head before eluding police for months, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced.

The jury deliberated for a little over two hours before finding Juan Carlos Perez (dob 4/4/76) of Los Angeles guilty of first-degree murder in case GA078620. Jurors also found true a special allegation that the defendant personally and intentionally discharged a firearm, which caused great bodily injury and death.

Perez is scheduled to be sentenced August 11 in Department T of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, Alhambra Branch. He faces a possible maximum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison.

Deputy District Attorney Kevin Keeland, who prosecuted the case, said Perez and victim Noe Martinez, 35, were at a bar with each other before the fatal shooting.

In the early morning of Nov. 21, 2009, a South Pasadena police officer was patrolling the 1000 block of Arroyo Drive when he saw a white Toyota Corolla with fogged up windows parked on the side of the road, the prosecutor said.

The officer parked his car behind the Corolla and approached the white vehicle. Suddenly, Perez exited the driver's side door and fled on foot, the prosecutor added. When the officer looked inside the car, he discovered Martinez slumped over with two gunshot wounds to the head. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the prosecutor.

According to evidence presented at trial, authorities also located a firearm holster under the driver's seat and two expended 9mm casings in the backseat of the car. Furthermore, the vehicle was registered to the defendant.

Following the homicide investigation, prosecutors filed a case for arrest warrant on Dec. 10, 2009, however, the defendant remained a fugitive.

In late 2010, law enforcement in Illinois arrested Perez. When authorities ran the defendant's fingerprints in their database, they discovered he was wanted for murder in California.

The defendant was subsequently extradited to Los Angeles County to face criminal prosecution for Martinez's killing.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.

Los Angeles County District Attorney / case GA078620 / July 14, 2017

About the Author

Fay Arfa

Fay Arfa has the distinction of being Certified as a Specialist in two separate areas of law – Criminal Law as well as Appellate Law – by the California State Bar, Board of Specialization. The National Board of Trial Advocacy has also awarded her a board Certification in Criminal Trial Advocacy. ...

Comments

There are no comments for this post. Be the first and Add your Comment below.

Leave a Comment

Board Certifications



Contact Us Today

Fay Arfa is committed to answering your questions about Trials, Appeals, Habeas Corpus, State Crimes, Federal Crimes, and Sex Crimes law issues in California.

We offer a free telephone consultation and we'll gladly discuss your case with you at your convenience. Contact us today to schedule an appointment.