Jurors shown gruesome photos of Ontario victim in 2003 murder
Jurors in the murder trial of Upland resident Aaron Lozada were shown gruesome photos today of the dead body of an 18-year-old Ontario woman who was killed in the course of a robbery in 2003.
Prosecutors say Lozada, 35, gave Jesus Penuelas a ride home after Penuelas ran over and killed Jessica de la Torre on an isolated dirt road near the Jurupa Mountains in Rubidoux.
Two Riverside County coroner's investigators detailed the numerous injuries to De la Torre as Deputy District Attorney Ambrosio E. Rodriguez displayed a series of graphic photos of De la Torre's dead body during trial proceedings today in Riverside Superior Court.
"There so many injuries, it's hard to keep track of what's there," said Mark Fajareo, who performed De la Torre's autopsy, after being asked by Rodriguez to describe one of the injuries.
On the morning of Aug. 15, 2003, Penuelas and Sergio Arias went to De la Torre's home in Ontario. De la Torre was raped and beaten unconscious, then put by Penuelas in the truck of the woman's father's car, according to prosecutors.
Penuelas and Arias stole two stereos from the home and took De la Torre's Bank of America ATM card.
Before they left the home, the men set it on fire in an attempt to destroy evidence.
Penuelas then drove De la Torre to the Jurupa Mountains, where he ran over the woman several times to kill her.
Lozada followed Penuelas in his own car. After De la Torre was killed, Penuelas left De la Torre's father's car in a Fontana parking lot and got into Lozada's car.
Lozada's defense attorney, Frank Peasley, said Monday that his client was unaware that De la Torre had been killed until Penuelas told him when he got into his car.
Lozada told the same story to an Ontario police detective shortly after the killing, the detective testified Monday.
Lozada's first murder trial ended in a mistrial in June after a jury deadlocked, with 11 favoring guilt and one favoring acquittal, Peasley said. The Riverside County District Attorney's Office immediately re-filed charges.
Lozada has been in custody since his initial Aug. 2003 arrest.
Penuelas and Arias have both been convicted of murder. Penuelas was sentenced to death and Arias was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Lozada's murder trial is scheduled to continue today in Riverside Superior Court. Jurors heard opening statements in the case on Thursday, according to online court records.
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