Jury recommends death penalty for two convicted killers in Indio

Jurors returned death penalty recommendations Thursday fortwo men convicted of carjacking, kidnapping, robbing and killing a 55-year-oldIndio resident.

The panels — one for each defendant — rejected life imprisonmentwithout parole for Daniel Cervantes, 35, and Carlos Contreras, 34.

The same juries convicted the pair of the May 7, 2008, murder of DanielKuzawa, along with other crimes committed in the weeks before and after thekilling,and found true special circumstance allegations of murder in thecommission of a robbery, kidnapping and carjacking.

Formal sentencing is scheduled April 12 for Cervantes and April 26 forContreras.

Both defendants were tried together, but with separate juries. Cervantes’ jury started deliberating Tuesday, a day after Contreras’ panel, andboth juries reached verdicts on Wednesday. The verdicts were sealed until thisafternoon.

Kuzawa was found by a field worker. He had been shot at close range inthe head and chest on the dirt shoulder of Pierce Street south of AirportBoulevard. His wrists and neck were bound with electrical cable.

Deputy District Attorney Manny Bustamante said Cervantes held a gun onthe victim while Contreras tied up Kuzawa in his own truck as he pleaded forhis life.

“I’m glad this is finally ending. I’m happy about the verdict, I thinkit was the right verdict, and I think the sentencing was the rightsentencing,” said the victim’s wife, Esther Kuzawa. She and other familymembers wore buttons with Kuzawa’s photo on them to court this afternoon.

“It’s really a sad day for everyone,” said the victim’s youngerbrother, Mike Kuzawa. “The only really two good things that come from this areknowing these two will not victimize anyone else, and it’ll serve as preventionfor anybody who may consider this (sort of crime) in the future.”

Kuzawa’s credit card was used at a Shell station in Coachella early onthe morning of his death. Surveillance video from the Fastrip station, where anATM transaction was traced, showed Kuzawa’s truck pulling up to the pumps.Cervantes, who was driving, got out to speak to Contreras, who was riding inanother vehicle, Bustamante said.

Contreras was arrested that night, after authorities stopped a vehiclein which he was a passenger. While trying to flee, he disposed of a gunbelieved to be the weapon used to kill Kuzawa, Bustamante said.

Contreras had gunshot residue on his hands and was in possession ofKuzawa’s wallet, a round of ammunition and a credit card belonging to a man heallegedly shot a few days before, the prosecutor said. He was also carryingKuzawa’s insurance and Costco cards, Bustamante said.

A search of the Coachella home where Contreras lived with his parentsturned up an ATM receipt from the Fastrip station and spools of cable of thetype used to bind Kuzawa, according to Bustamante.

He played parts of a taped interview, in which Cervantes describedKuzawa being put in his truck, being tied up and later pulled out of thevehicle and left in Thermal.

Contreras was additionally convicted of shooting Walter Garrett in thejaw and shoulder near Dillon Road and Vista Del Sur in Coachella, and stealingand burning his pickup truck on May 3, 2008, as well as robbing, kidnapping andcarjacking Sandra Jaramillo on April 28, 2008, in Palm Desert.

Contreras was also convicted of having property stolen from a La Quintaman and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Cervantes was additionally convicted of having the La Quinta man’sstolen property, but acquitted of robbing and kidnapping a Thermal-area man,Diego Chavez, on May 11, 2008.