Jury finds Aguirre guilty for San Bernardino carjacking and fatal shooting
By Mike Cruz, Staff Writer
Aguirre attacked the 54-year-old Jordan as she got into her car, which was parked in front of a Highland Avenue doughnut shop on New Year's Eve 2001, according to prosecutors. He fired two gunshots, callously pulled Jordan's body from the Chrysler 300M and quickly left his victim's car.
Aguirre faces a maximum of 50 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced Oct. 20 in San Bernardino Superior Court, prosecutors said.
After the proceedings, emotional jurors hugged the victim's husband and family members, offering them words of support, in the courthouse hallway.
"Nothing can bring our beloved Honey back," said Jordan's husband, Dr. Kenneth Jordan, with tears in his eyes. "But seeing justice done is a great comfort to my family and our dear friends and to our community."
Dr. Kenneth Jordan is a well-known, local neurologist, who has worked at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton and is currently working at St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino. The couple were married for 31 years and had three children.
"I think the jury did the right thing," said Deputy District Attorney Robert Bulloch.
Jurors found the 25-year-old Aguirre guilty of one count of murder and one count of carjacking. They also found true several special allegations that Aguirre used a handgun while committing those crimes.
Key witnesses to the prosecution's case proved to be co-defendant Ruben Garcia and another man, Henry Ricker, who identified Aguirre as the shooter to San Bernardino Police. Garcia was important, Bulloch explained, because his testimony corroborated the other witness.
Garcia testified in Aguirre's trial under the terms of a plea bargain he reached with prosecutors in April 2006. The plea bargain set a maximum sentence for the 26-year-old Garcia of 40 years to life in state prison, while establishing a lower possible sentence if he testified in court.
Garcia could receive a maximum of 12 years in state prison for cooperating with law enforcement and being truthful in his testimony, as determined by the trial judge, Bulloch explained. Garcia is set to be sentenced Sept. 19.
Defense lawyer Speros Maniates said the case rested on whether the jury believed the witness' identification of Aguirre as the shooter and whether it believed Garcia.
"I don't think there was much middle ground," Maniates said after the hearing. He added that it was still possible that Aguirre did not fire the gun intentionally.
"There was some evidence to support that," Maniates said.
"Nothing can bring our beloved Honey back," said Jordan's husband, Dr. Kenneth Jordan, with tears in his eyes. "But seeing justice done is a great comfort to my family and our dear friends and to our community."
Dr. Kenneth Jordan is a well-known, local neurologist, who has worked at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center in Colton and is currently working at St. Bernardine Medical Center in San Bernardino. The couple were married for 31 years and had three children.
"I think the jury did the right thing," said Deputy District Attorney Robert Bulloch.
Jurors found the 25-year-old Aguirre guilty of one count of murder and one count of carjacking. They also found true several special allegations that Aguirre used a handgun while committing those crimes.
Key witnesses to the prosecution's case proved to be co-defendant Ruben Garcia and another man, Henry Ricker, who identified Aguirre as the shooter to San Bernardino Police. Garcia was important, Bulloch explained, because his testimony corroborated the other witness.
Garcia testified in Aguirre's trial under the terms of a plea bargain he reached with prosecutors in April 2006. The plea bargain set a maximum sentence for the 26-year-old Garcia of 40 years to life in state prison, while establishing a lower possible sentence if he testified in court.
Garcia could receive a maximum of 12 years in state prison for cooperating with law enforcement and being truthful in his testimony, as determined by the trial judge, Bulloch explained. Garcia is set to be sentenced Sept. 19.
Defense lawyer Speros Maniates said the case rested on whether the jury believed the witness' identification of Aguirre as the shooter and whether it believed Garcia.
"I don't think there was much middle ground," Maniates said after the hearing. He added that it was still possible that Aguirre did not fire the gun intentionally.
"There was some evidence to support that," Maniates said.
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