Lawndale gang member gets 50 to life for shooting
A Lawndale gang member will spend 50 years to life in prison for a shooting that left a teenager in wheelchair forever. Gilbert Espinoza, 32, was sentenced in Torrance Superior Court Wednesday. A jury found him guilty in April of three counts each of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon.
He was also convicted of allegations that the shooting was gang-related and that he used a gun and caused great bodily injury. The shooting occurred Sept. 22, 2006 on Prairie Avenue just north of Redondo Beach Boulevard.
Espinoza yelled out a car to three 14-year-old boys who were walking, asking them where they were from - a typical challenge that often leads to violence. While two of the boys responded that they "don't bang," one yelled back: "Redondo." Espinoza, who belongs to a rival Lawndale gang, made a U-turn and shot out the window, hitting the boy who said "Redondo."
The victim was hit in the back and is now paralyzed.
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Larry Altman has covered crime in the South Bay since 1990. He's seen it all - the missing model who turned up dead in the desert, the wives found dead in trunks, the high-school coaches who get a little too close to their players. He drives his young colleagues nuts with his "I remember when" stories. He welcomes your tips and observations about the present, and you can mix in a little Lakers basketball talk if you like.
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Denise -
I hope you know more about this than I do. I heard that Espinoza was identified by an officer who knew that he drove a minivan similar to what the victims had described. But upon further investigation, it seems that his van was a different make and color than what the victims said the shooter drove.
Also, I understand that the 3 weren't able to identify Espinoza as the shooter at first. Their memories became more in focus after several police interviews.
If in fact the shooter's van is that substantially different than Espinoza's van, and the kids didn't recognoze the suspect from the photo lineup, doesn't it sound like they got the wrong guy?
Was there any other physical evidence in this case? Was the weapon recovered? Was powder residue found in the van?
The flip-side of course is, where was he at the time of the shooting? Was an alabi ever brought up?
I'm hoping you might know something more of this.
Andrew:
I did not watch any of this trial, but some of the things you are saying sound familiar. Wish I could be of more help.
-Denise
Andrew,
Cell phone records put him on the scene. The victim id'd him initially, then changed his story, not vice versa. His van was the make and model id'd by several witnesses.
whatever he got what he deserves..and that still will never make up for what he did to my family!!!!
Gerardo, Andrew and Rudy testified at trial. Each boy had also testified at the first trial. Gerardo claimed he never, never said any of the things the police claimed he told them at the scene of the shooting. He admitted having chosen Espinozas photograph from a suspect six-pack, but said that was a wrong mistake, and he did not know why he had gotten Espinoza in trouble for no reason. Gerardo acknowledged that, at the prior trial he had testified that: (1) he never identified a suspect, (2) he was forced by the police to identify a suspect, (3) he did not remember making a choice, and (4) he simply chose a picture at random from the six-pack. Gerardo also testified he never saw a van the night Rudy was shot, and that he had never said he had. Gerardo admitted he did not want to testify at this trial any more than he had wanted to testify at the first one. He did not care whether the guy who shot [his] friend . . . [got] caught and [paid] the price for it. Gerardo admitted having told Detective Cale he did not want to cooperate with the investigation, because he did not remember anything.
Andrew testified that he did not recall having told Regaldo the van depicted in the photograph he signed either looked like or was the van that shot at him. He also admitted he was not happy about having to testify, and was worried about his mothers safety.
When asked to look at Espinoza during trial, Rudy testified that he wasnt sure whether Espinoza looked like the person who shot at him. In prior testimony, when asked if Espinoza could be the man who shot him, Rudy had said more likely he is. Rudy also testified that his memory was better during the earlier proceeding.