Case # 07SF0626

MAN CONVICTED OF STABBING AND MURDERING ACQUAINTANCE IN PARK AFTER DISPUTE OVER WHO WAS A BETTER SINGER

SANTA ANA – A man was convicted today of stabbing and murdering an acquaintance in a park after an argument over who was a better singer. Julian Sermano, 58, San Juan Capistrano, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of second degree murder, one felony count of aggravated assault, and a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. He faces a maximum sentence of 16 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Aug. 27, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-38, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

Co-defendant Maurico Molina, 34, San Juan Capistrano, pleaded guilty Sept. 4, 2009, to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. He was sentenced May 21, 2010, to 11 years in state prison. Molina testified in Sermano’s jury trial.

At approximately 9:30 p.m. on June 6, 2007, Sermano was in San Juan Capistrano Park off Ortega Highway with acquaintances Molina and Blas Gutierrez, 39. The defendant was drinking in the park with his two companions as the three sat singing.

Sermano became angry and got into an argument with Gutierrez, who complained about Sermano’s singing and boasted that he was a better singer. The defendant got into a physical fight with Gutierrez, which Molina attempted to break up. Molina began fighting with Gutierrez, pulled out a pocket knife, and stabbed the victim twice.

While Molina and Gutierrez were fighting, Sermano took out a knife and attempted to stab the victim, but missed and inadvertently stabbed Molina instead. When Molina fell to the ground, Sermano again turned on Gutierrez and repeatedly stabbed him after chasing him through the park.

Molina called 911 to receive help for his stab wound. Responding paramedics discovered Gutierrez nearby. Gutierrez and Molina were both transported to Mission Hospital. Gutierrez was pronounced dead minutes after arriving at the hospital, suffering from multiple stab wounds to his chest and stomach. Molina was hospitalized for several days for a lacerated liver from being stabbed.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Steve McGreevy of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

### Reprinted With Permission of OCDA.

If you have been charged with murder, or another type of violent crime call The Law Office of David Swanson. Visit his website at www.dswanlaw.net for more information.

Case # 08WF2093

DRIVER UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF ALCOHOL AND PRESCRIPTION DRUGS CONVICTED OF MURDERING MOM WHO WAS RIDING BIKE WITH SON

SANTA ANA – A driver under the influence of prescription drugs and alcohol was convicted today of murdering a woman by crashing his car into her while she was riding her bike on the sidewalk with her son. Alex David Trujillo, 45, Garden Grove, was found guilty by a jury of one felony count of murder and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years to life in state prison at his sentencing on Aug. 20, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-34, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.

At approximately 4:55 p.m. on Oct. 12, 2008, 46-year-old Catherine Busse was riding her bike on Lampson Avenue in Seal Beach with her 15-year-old son, Samuel Busse. The pair was riding on the sidewalk. Trujillo was driving nearby and veered off the road up onto the sidewalk at 45 mph. He was driving under the influence of multiple prescription drugs including Oxycontin, Vicodin, Xanax, and Soma. He had a blood alcohol level of .11 percent.

Trujillo crashed his car into Catherine Busse, who was thrown from her bike and landed nearby. Witnesses called 911 and detained Trujillo until police arrived. Catherine Busse died at the scene due to blunt force trauma to the head. Her son, Samuel Busse, was transported to the hospital to be treated for minor injuries.

Trujillo, who has a prior 2002 conviction for driving under the influence, had completed an alcohol awareness class and a Mothers Against Drunk Driving panel, during which he was advised of the dangers of driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

During the trial, evidence was presented that Trujillo frequented four different pharmacies to obtain between 120 and 180 Vicodin pills and between 60 and 120 Oxycontin pills every month. Despite toxicology reports showing a presentence of Xanax in the defendant’s system at the time of the crash, the defendant testified that he had never taken that prescription drug.

The People argued during the trial that Trujillo’s drug and alcohol impaired driving was not limited to the day he murdered Busse, but was a daily occurrence based on his excessive prescription drug use and his admission to the hospital at the time of his arrest that he frequently consumed alcohol. The People argued that the defendant lived every day with a conscious disregard for the danger he posed to other drivers and pedestrians on the road.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

Reprinted with Permission of OCDA.

If you have been arrested for driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol call The law offices of David E. Swanson at 949 477 3030. Or, visit www.dswanlaw.net for more information. Mr. Swanson serves all of Orange County, California.

Case # 10NF1836

WOMAN CHARGED WITH STABBING-MURDER OF LIVE-IN BOYFRIEND

SANTA ANA – A woman has been charged with stabbing and murdering her live-in boyfriend after an argument in their Anaheim apartment. Corina Jo Castillo, 35, Anaheim, is charged with one felony count of murder with a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon. If convicted, she faces a maximum sentence of 26 years to life in state prison. The People will be requesting $3 million bail at Castillo’s arraignment Monday, June 21, 2010, at 10:00 a.m. in Department CJ-1, Central Jail, Santa Ana.

Shortly after midnight on June 17, 2010, Castillo is accused of getting into an argument with her live-in boyfriend, 28-year-old Jesse Foster. The defendant and the victim shared an apartment in Anaheim in a complex at 2215 West Broadway. Castillo is accused of using a kitchen knife to stab the victim one time in the back.

Foster escaped from the apartment and ran down a flight of stairs before collapsing. Castillo is accused of following him out of the apartment and fleeing the scene. Neighbors called 911 after hearing the commotion in the hallway and finding Foster.

The victim was transported to the hospital and died shortly thereafter. Castillo was found at a friend’s house in Tustin later that day and was arrested by Anaheim police.

Senior Deputy District Attorney Howard Gundy of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

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Reproduced with Permission of OCDA

If you have been charged with murder or other type of violent crima contact a skilled Criminal Defense Lawyer. Visit www.mikepaynelaw.com for information regarding your rights. Mr. Payne can also be reached at 626 593 1109.

Case # TBA

PAROLEE-AT-LARGE CHARGED WITH STEALING GUNS, CAR AND OVER $41,000 IN PROPERTY IN 14 RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES
*Defendant entered homes through dog door, smashed windows, or unlocked front door

WESTMINSTER – A parolee-at-large has been charged with breaking into 14 homes, stealing a car and more than $41,000 in property, and selling the stolen items on the street or to pawn shops. Samuel Lono Zoller, 42, is charged with fourteen felony counts of first degree residential burglary, three felony counts of theft of a firearm, and one felony count of the unlawful taking of a vehicle. He has a prior strike conviction for residential burglary in 2008, for which he is on parole. If convicted, Zoller faces a maximum sentence of 58 years in state prison. The defendant is being held without bail and is expected to be arraigned this afternoon, Friday, June 18, 2010, in Department W-14, West Justice Center, Westminster.

Between December 2007 and April 2010, Zoller is accused of committing 14 residential burglaries, 12 of which occurred between January and April 2010, by breaking in to unoccupied homes in the area of Bowles Avenue in Garden Grove.

The defendant is accused of riding his bicycle to the homes of the victims and either observing the house at length to determine when the residents would be home, or knocking on the victims’ doors to verify that the home was unoccupied. One of the homes was the residence of Zoller’s girlfriend’s family. All of the residential burglaries occurred in the afternoon.

Once Zoller believed that the residents were not home, he is accused of breaking in to the houses by prying open or smashing windows, entering through an unlocked front door, and in one case climbing in through a dog door. In one of the victim’s houses, Zoller is accused of restraining two large dogs by tethering one and locking the second in a kennel.

Zoller is accused of ransacking the houses and stealing jewelry, DVDs, video games, power tools and three firearms. From one home he is accused of stealing the victim’s Honda Odyssey. In all, the defendant is accused of stealing over $41,000 in property plus the cost of the stolen vehicle. The Garden Grove Police Department (GGPD) investigated the burglaries.

After committing the residential burglaries, Zoller is accused of selling the stolen property on the street or in pawn shops. A pawn shop owner contacted GGPD after becoming suspicious of Zoller when a victim went in to the shop with an itemized list of stolen property to see if anything had been sold to the shop. The items on the list matched several items the shop owner had purchased from Zoller several days prior.

Zoller, who at the time of the residential burglaries was at-large on parole after failing to report to his parole agent, was arrested June 15, 2010, by GGPD officer at the Costa Mesa Motor Inn on Harbor Boulevard. Much of the stolen property has not been recovered but some of the property was recovered from the pawn shop and motel where Zoller was arrested.

Deputy District Attorney Joel Stone is prosecuting this case.

### Reproduced w/Permission of OCDA.

If you have been charged with a burglary, robbery, theft or other crime in the Westminster area please contact The Law Office of David E. Swanson www.dswanlaw.net Mr. Swanson serves the accused throughout all of Southern California and can be reached at 949 477 3030.

Case # 09CF0143

HIGH SCHOOL BASEBALL AND BAND VOLUNTEER CONVICTED OF UNLAWFUL SEX WITH FEMALE STUDENT

SANTA ANA – A volunteer with a high school baseball team and band was convicted today of having an unlawful sexual relationship with a female student when she was 14 and 15 years old. Giovanno Jimenez, 26, Santa Ana, pleaded guilty to a court offer to two felony counts of unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor and one felony count of lewd acts on a child. He was sentenced to 60 days in jail, three years of formal probation with sex offender probation terms, and a protective order was issued ordering him to stay away from the victim.

Between July 17, 2008, and Aug. 20, 2008, Jimenez had an unlawful sexual relationship with Jane Doe on multiple occasions when she was 14 and 15 years old at the victim’s house when her parents were not home. Jimenez met the victim at Valley High School in Santa Ana, where Jane Doe was a student, while volunteering with the frosh/soph baseball team and school band. Police began investigating the case after receiving a complaint from a concerned parent.

Deputy District Attorney Jess Rodriguez of the Sexual Assault Unit prosecuted this case.

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Reprinted with Permission of OCDA.

If you have been the victim of a sex crime or sex crime feel free to call The Law Office of David E. Swanson at 949 477 3030. Or visit www.dswanlaw.net for more information.

Case # 10NF1615

DRUNKEN DRIVER TO BE ARRAIGNED FOR KILLING MOTORIST BY CRASHING INTO VICTIM AFTER RUNNING RED LIGHT

FULLERTON – A drunken driver will be arraigned today on charges of killing another motorist by driving through a red light and crashing into the victim in an intersection. Alice Darlene Moya, 21, Lynwood, is charged with one felony count of vehicular manslaughter while intoxicated without gross negligence and faces a maximum sentence of four years in state prison if convicted. Moya is out of custody on $100,000 bail and is scheduled to be arraigned this morning, Thursday, June 17, 2010, in Department N-3, North Justice Center, Fullerton.

At approximately 2:30 a.m. on April 24, 2010, Moya is accused of driving home in her Honda sedan from a party in the city of South Gate while under the influence of alcohol. As the defendant approached the intersection of Gilbert Street and Rosecrans Avenue in Fullerton, she is accused of driving through a red light and crashing into a Toyota sedan driven by 56-year-old Sae Jun Koh.

Moya sustained minor abrasions as a result of the crash. Koh was transported to University of California, Irvine Medical Center, where he died on May 17, 2010, due to swelling in the brain and blunt force trauma.

When contacted by officers from the Fullerton Police Department at the scene, Moya is accused of displaying objective signs of intoxication and having a blood alcohol level of .14 percent. The defendant was 20 years old at the time of the crash.

Deputy District Attorney Susan Price of the Homicide Unit is prosecuting this case.

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Reprinted w/Permission of OCDA.

If you have been injured as a result of a drunk driving accident in Southern California contact the Law Office of Michael D. Payne. Mr. Payne can be reached at 626 593 1109 or visit his website: www.mikepaynelaw.com

If you have been arrested and charged with a DUI call The Law office of David E. Swanson at 949 477 3030. Or, visit his website at www.dswanlaw.net

FORMER USPS MAIL SORTER SENTENCED TO JAIL FOR STEALING GIFT CARDS AND CASH FROM MAIL

SANTA ANA – A former employee of the United Stated Postal Service (USPS) was sentenced today to six months in jail and three years of formal probation for stealing money, gift cards, and pre-paid calling cards from the mail by seeking out colored greeting card envelopes while sorting mail for distribution. Eveline Panganiban Galermo, 37, Bellflower, pleaded guilty to a court offer to three felony counts of acquiring access cards to defraud, two felony counts of second degree commercial burglary, and one felony count of receiving stolen property.

In March 2008, Galermo started a job with USPS sorting mail at the Santa Ana Processing and Distribution Center. Between March and July 2008, the defendant stole mail, including mostly colored envelopes of greeting card size. She removed the stolen mail from the rest of the mail and felt the envelopes to determine the contents.

On several occasions, Galermo opened mail or hid mail under her shirt and stole the contents, including pre-paid calling cards, cash, and gift certificates. The defendant used stolen gift cards to purchase items at two Target stores.

The USPS Office of Inspector General began investigating the case after receiving complaints from numerous Orange County residents that cards and mail containing monetary gifts had not arrived. The victims in this case do not know each other.

Stolen mail and envelopes addressed to other people and locations were found in Galermo’s trash outside of her home. As of Aug. 1, 2008, she no longer works for USPS.

Deputy District Attorney Andrew Katz of the Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted this case.

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Reprinted w/permission of OCDA Office

If you have been charged with a crime, or have been injured in an accident please visit www.mikepaynelaw.com Mr. Payne is a Criminal lawyer in West Covina, CA. His office number is 626 593 1109.

Mr. Payne has offices in West Covina as well as Beverly Hills California.