The final defendant charged in the 2008 shooting death of an off-duty sheriff’s deputy in Cypress Park made his first Los Angeles court appearance Thursday, but his arraignment was delayed until next month.
Roberto Salazar, 38, is the last of six people who were charged in the roughly 5:40 a.m. Aug. 2, 2008, killing of 27-year-old Deputy Juan Abel Escalante, who was gunned down while leaving his parents’ home in the 3400 block of Thorpe Avenue in Cypress Park. The father of three and former U.S. Army reservist had been a sheriff’s deputy for 2 1/2 years and worked at the Men’s Central Jail in downtown Los Angeles.
Escalante, who was staying at his parents’ house while preparing to buy a home in Pomona, was killed while heading to his morning shift.
Investigators initially suspected that Escalante’s work guarding dangerous inmates — including members of the Mexican Mafia prison gang — contributed to his death, but authorities eventually determined the defendants mistook Escalante for a member of a rival gang. Prosecutors said he was shot four times at close range.
Sheriff’s officials said Escalante was able to draw his service weapon when he was confronted by two of the defendants outside his parents’ home and identified himself as a deputy before he was shot.
Salazar was returned to Los Angeles earlier this week — one of 26 fugitives who were extradited from Mexico to the United States, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. He appeared in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Thursday and his arraignment on murder and conspiracy charges was rescheduled for Sept. 22.
He remains jailed without bail.
Five reputed Avenues gang members were previously convicted in connection with Escalante’s killing.
Arnoldo Pineda, who testified that he was ordered at gunpoint to drive to the Cypress Park neighborhood where Escalante was slain, pleaded no contest in September 2010 to voluntary manslaughter.
Guillermo Hernandez, who was sitting in the back seat of the car, pleaded no contest in April 2012 to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 21 years in state prison. He waived credit for three years he had already served behind bars.
Armando Albarran pleaded guilty in 2015 to first-degree murder and was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison.
The gunman, Carlos Javier “Stoney” Velasquez, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty in October 2012 to first-degree murder. He also admitted a special circumstance allegation that the murder was carried out to further the activities of a criminal street gang and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Co-defendant Jose Renteria was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced in March 2013 to life in prison without parole for supplying Velasquez with the handgun used in the killing.
Sheriff Robert Luna told reporters during a Wednesday afternoon news conference that Salazar is believed to have been a passenger in the defendants’ vehicle the night of the killing.
Luna said Salazar was located and arrested in March about three hours south of Mexico City by Mexican law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Service. He has remained in custody pending extradition negotiations — which included an agreement by local prosecutors that they would not seek the death penalty for Salazar, Luna said.
According to jail records, Salazar was booked Wednesday morning into an L.A. County jail.
“We have never forgotten our brother, Deputy Juan Abel Escalante,” Luna said. “Justice has been a long time coming, but today we are one step closer.”
Luna said Salazar’s capture will not bring back Escalante, but it “delivers a measure of accountability” because he “will now answer for his alleged role” in the killing.
District Attorney Nathan Hochman said Salazar will face a possible sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Salazar is charged with murder and conspiracy. Jail records indicate he could appear in court on Thursday.
Luna read a statement from Escalante’s parents, who live out of state and thanked law enforcement officials for their continued efforts in locating the suspect.
“We want to thank God for justice finally being served,” they said in the statement.
In a separate statement, Escalante’s widow, Celeste, also said she appreciated the hard work of everyone involved in Salazar’s capture.
“Abel was truly never forgotten,” she said.