Man gets 50 to life in Upland man's killing

Pictured: Frederic Hoyle Jr.

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- A man was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison this afternoon in the 2005 shooting death of Frederic Hoyle Jr. of Upland.

A jury convicted Alejandro Ahumada, a 35-year-old reputed gang member, of first-degree murder last year for the killing of Hoyle, 37, who was shot at least eight times and left in the passenger seat of his car in Fontana.

Hoyle was flush with cash after selling his home in Upland, and was targeted by people who wanted to rob him, said Deputy District Attorney Daima Calhoun.

In his trial testimony, Ahumada claimed he wasn't responsible for Hoyle's death, but his DNA was found under Hoyle's fingernails and witnesses saw the two arguing about an hour before Hoyle's death, Calhoun said.

"I think it's great," said Hoyle's father, Frederic Hoyle Sr., of Ahumada's sentence. "They can't let these people out. It's just going to continue."

Hoyle, who worked as a manager at a local car dealership, began using drugs shortly before his killing, and was associating with people involved in the drug trade, Calhoun said.

Ahumada, who had served four prison terms prior to Hoyle's death, was a friend of one of Hoyle's drug associates, Calhoun said.

Hoyle was found dead on March 16, 2005 at a trucking facility in 10700 block of Cherry Avenue.

An employee at the facility found him at about 7:30 p.m. slumped over in the passenger seat of his 2003 H2 Hummer. Hoyle had been shot at least eight times, Calhoun said.

Before Ahumada's sentencing in West Valley Superior Court, several member's of Hoyle's family spoke in court.

His father broke down as he recalled the day his son was born. He was unable to continue reading his statement, and he handed it off to a San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office employee to finish reading aloud.

"He not only ruined my son's life, but he ruined his own," Hoyle's father said.

Hoyle's sister, Lorena Hoyle, urged Judge Stephan G. Saleson to sentence Ahumada to the maximum prison term, saying "society should be protected from him."

"Part of my family is forever missing," she said.

Prior to Ahumada's sentencing, Saleson a motion for a new trial brought by Ahumada. The Hacienda Heights man argued that his trial attorney represented him poorly.