| For Immediate Release Case # 07ZF0003
August 14, 2009 |
Susan Kang Schroeder Public Affairs Counsel Office: 714-347-8408 Cell: 714-292-2718 Farrah Emami |
GANG MEMBER SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR SHOOTING AND MURDERING 13-YEAR-OLD MISTAKENLY BELIEVED TO BE A RIVAL
SANTA ANA – A gang member was sentenced today to receive the death penalty after being convicted 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, 34, Garden Grove, who was 28 years old at the time of the murder, was found guilty by a jury on May 21, 2009, 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 jury recommended the death penalty on June 15, 2009.
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 crime, pleaded guilty to one felony count of voluntary manslaughter, two felony counts of attempted murder, and a sentencing enhancement for criminal street gang activity. Do was sentenced to 25 years and eight months in state prison on July 16, 2009.
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 was sentenced July 10, 2009, to six years and eight months in state prison. 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, Santa Ana.
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.
CIRCUMSTANCES OF CRIMINAL CASE
On Aug. 12, 2003, 13-year-old Minh Tran went for tacos with his brother Anh Tran, 14, cousins Ba Tran, 14, and Ahn Ta, 14, and uncle Nam Luong, 28, to Alerto’s Mexican Food on Brookhurst in Westminster. Alerto’s was a regular hangout for members of Aguirre’s criminal street gang.