Jurors in the trial of a defendant accused of fatally attacking a fellow inmate in Orange County Jail saw violent surveillance video Tuesday of the man repeatedly punching and stomping on the head of the victim, who died two weeks later.
Irving Josue Morales, 24, is charged with murder in the Feb. 5, 2025, attack that killed 38-year-old Juan Vasquez Pulido at the Intake Release Center at 550 N. Flower St. in Santa Ana.
Deputy District Attorney Sarah Rahman told jurors that she was “confident you will find this defendant committed willful, deliberate first-degree murder.”
Morales’ attorney, Tom Nocella of the Alternate Defender’s Office, told jurors that they would have to decide between first- or second-degree murder or manslaughter. The “intent to kill” is what jurors will be asked to focus on, Nocella said.
“At the end of this trial I will be asking you to find my client not guilty of first-degree murder,” Nocella said.
Pulido was in custody on drug-related charges when he was attacked in a cell with a handful of other inmates.
Deputy Brendan Le of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department testified that he went to have the newly booked inmates changed into jail garb when he came across the victim at about 7:40 p.m. One of the inmates said “man down,” Le said.
“He was breathing very heavy, lying face down, gasping” in a pool of blood, Le testified.
Le called for help and medical staff and other deputies responded. Nurse Raychana Sinclair testified that the victim had lacerations to his head.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Luke Sapolu testified that Pulido vomited while in custody hours before the attack. After relieving himself, Pulido went to lie down again on a bench and rest, Sapolu said.
Morales is seen in the video clutching at Pulido’s sweater a couple of times with Pulido brushing his hand away before Morales returns and the beating and kicking commences.
Sapolu, who watched hours of surveillance video of the two in the cell, said he counted Morales punching Pulido seven times in the head and twice slamming him on the bench. Morales appeared to pause for close to a minute and resume his attack in the video. In all, there were a total of 65 kicks to the victim’s head, Sapolu testified.
The two had no physical conflicts before the attack, Sapolu testified. And Pulido did nothing to defend himself, Sapolu said.
Pulido was rushed to Orange County Global Medical Center where he was placed in a medically induced coma and died Feb. 20, sheriff’s investigator Michael Swain testified.