A man was convicted Wednesday of murdering, carjacking and trying to rob a man who was run over with his own truck in Huntington Park after he refused to hand over his paycheck.
Jurors deliberated for a day before finding Brian Mendez, 25, guilty of the Jan. 13, 2012, killing of Efrain Perez-Ortiz.
The panel also found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and carjacking.
Mendez is facing life in prison without the possibility of parole, with sentencing set for April 6.
Co-defendant Mistry Ruiz, 22, pleaded no contest last October to a felony count of carjacking and admitted an allegation of use of a deadly weapon — a car — during the commission of the crime. She is facing 11 years in state prison.
The two met Perez-Ortiz at a liquor store that day, drank alcohol in the victim’s pickup truck and decided to go together in his truck to his to pick up some things, according to Deputy District Attorney Robert Villa.
When Perez-Ortiz returned to the vehicle, Ruiz propositioned him, but he refused to hand over his money and got out of the vehicle after Mendez hit him, according to the prosecutor.
Mendez subsequently ran over Perez-Ortiz with the victim’s truck, crushing the 56-year-old man, before fleeing the scene, according to the prosecutor.
Mendez was linked to the attack through DNA from a hat left at the scene, Villa said.
Mendez confessed to the killing and revealed Ruiz’s involvement when authorities went to interview him, the prosecutor said.
–City News Service