| For Immediate Release Case # 07ZF0003
May 21, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
GANG MEMBER CONVICTED OF SHOOTING AND MURDERING 13-YEAR-OLD MISTAKENLY
BELIEVED TO BE A RIVAL
*The District Attorney is seeking the death penalty in this case
SANTA ANA – A gang member was convicted today of murdering a 13-year-old boy and shooting two of his family members for the benefit of his gang after mistakenly believing that the victims were rivals. Jason Alejandro Aguirre, 33, Garden Grove, who was 28 years old at the time of the murder, was found guilty by a jury of felonies for one count of special circumstances murder for a criminal street gang purpose, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of street terrorism. The sentencing enhancements for the personal discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury and death, great bodily injury, and criminal street gang activity were found true. The District Attorney is seeking the death penalty in this case. The penalty phase of the trial is scheduled to begin Tuesday, May 26, 2009, at 9:00 a.m. in Department C-40, Central Justice Center, Santa Ana.
CO-DEFENDANTS
The defendants are all accused of being members of a Vietnamese criminal street gang. Defendant Quang Hal Do, 24, Westminster, who was 18 years old at the time of the murder, is charged with felonies for one count of special circumstances murder for a criminal street gang purpose, two counts of attempted murder, and one count of street terrorism. He faces sentencing enhancements for the vicarious discharge of a firearm as a gang member causing great bodily injury and death and criminal street gang activity. Quang is being held without bail and faces a maximum sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole if convicted. He is scheduled for a pre-trial hearing on July 10, 2009, at the Central Justice Center.
Juvenile defendants Harrison Khoa Pham, then 16 years old, Aaron Villegas, then 16 years old, and Danny Viet Duong, then 17 years old, were all prosecuted as adults. Pham, 22, pleaded guilty Oct. 31, 2008, to two felony counts of attempted murder, one felony count of street terrorism, and one felony count of voluntary manslaughter. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 10, 2009, in Department C-30, Central Justice Center. Villegas, 22, pleaded guilty Feb. 14, 2006, and Duong, 23, pleaded guilty Sept. 15, 2006, to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter and one felony count of street terrorism. Both are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 11, 2009, in Department C-30, Central Justice Center.
Dung Q Le, 26, Portland, OR, who was 20 years old at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty June 20, 2008, to two felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count of voluntary manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity and was sentenced to 23 years and four months in state prison. Donny Long Nguyen, 24, Westminster, who was 18 years old at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty Jan. 11, 2008, to two felony counts of attempted murder and one felony count of voluntary manslaughter with a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity and was sentenced to 18 years and four months is state prison.