Two men involved in the beating death of a Cerritos man whose body was discovered in November 2013 in a parking structure in Torrance are facing more than 20 years in state prison.
Michael Frank Trujillo, 34, and Ernie Lee Ramos, 35, each pleaded no contest Thursday to voluntary manslaughter in the Nov. 2, 2013, killing of Jose Frank Johnson, according to Ricardo Santiago of the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office.
Trujillo also pleaded no contest to kidnapping the 42-year-old victim, and admitted allegations of use of a weapon and great bodily injury, according to Santiago.
Sentencing is set for April 27.
Ramos’ girlfriend, Angelina Maria Garcia, 36, pleaded no contest to being an accessory after the fact and was immediately sentenced to three years in state prison.
Johnson was apparently killed in Carson, then taken to Torrance, where his body was left inside a vehicle in a parking structure in the area of Pacific Coast Highway and Hawthorne Boulevard. He was found the next day.
Ramos was angry with Johnson for making an unwanted sexual advance toward Garcia, and was beaten by Ramos and Trujillo — who is Garcia’s half- brother — after he returned to the house about a month later, according to Santiago.
Johnson died of blunt force trauma to the head, and rujillo, Ramos and Garcia were arrested about 2 1/2 weeks later.
— Wire reports