| For Immediate Release November 29th, 2005 |
Contact: | Susan Kang Schroeder Deputy District Attorney (714) 347-8408 Office (714) 292-2718 Cell |
OPENING STATEMENTS BEGIN ON GANG MEMBER ACCUSED OF GUNNING DOWN A BUENA PARK BUSINESSMAN AND FATHER OF THREE
Santa Ana – Opening statements will begin tomorrow morning on Gerardo Lopez, 20, of Pacoima, charged with executing David Montemayor, 44, of Buena Park, a married father of three on October 2, 2002 in Department C-45, Central Justice Center, 700 Civic Center Drive W., Santa Ana, CA 92701. If convicted of the first-degree murder with special circumstances, he faces life without the possibility of parole. Anthony Navarro, Armando Macias and Alberto Martinez have also been charged with this murder and will go to trial at a later date.
PREVIOUS TRIAL
The victim’s sister Deborah Perna, 49, of Buena Park, the office manager of the family business, believed that her brother was stealing from their company and wanted him out of the way. She had also learned that their father was planning to turn control of the company over to Montemayer. Perna asked her secretary, Edelmira Corona, to ask her friend Navarro to kill the victim in exchange for several thousand dollars in cash that she believed Montemayer was storing at his home.
FACTS
In this case, Lopez is accused of being recruited by Navarro with Macias and Martinez to kidnap and kill Montemayor at the victim’s Rancho Dominguez business. Lopez is accused of committing these crimes to benefit his gang. The three are accused of kidnapping and driving the victim towards his home in Buena Park to get the money. About a mile from the residence, Montemayor got out of the car and ran away from the car. Lopez and Macias are accused of shooting Montemayor in the head and killing him. Lopez, Martinez, and Macias fled the scene and were involved in a televised police chase during rush hour. Police eventually stopped the car and all three defendants were taken into custody.
PROCEEDINGS
Last month, Deborah Perna, 49, of Buena Park, was convicted of first-degree, special circumstance murder during an attempted robbery.