Indio man gets life for gunning down gang member

A 30-year-old Indio man was sentenced Monday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for gunning down a gang member who had just confronted the defendant’s brother.

Omar Escamilla Guillen was found guilty Aug. 10 of first-degree murder in the April 21, 2013, slaying of Homero Valle. Jurors also found true a special circumstance allegation of firing a gun from inside a vehicle with the intent to cause death, and a sentence-enhancing firearm-use allegation.

State law required that Guillen — who had no prior arrests — be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Guillen testified in his own defense during the trial. He said he drove to U Save Market at 46527 Calhoun St. after receiving a call from his brother,
Lionel. His sibling said he had just been threatened by Valle and Romero Ibanez, who had a .45-caliber pistol, according to the defendant.

Valle and Ibanez were driving away from the store and had just been involved in an unrelated crash with another vehicle when Guillen drove up and asked Valle through the passenger-side window why he was harassing the defendant’s brother, according to his testimony.

“He said, `You fools have something coming,”’ Guillen testified, adding that Valle said he planned to kill him and his two brothers. Though Valle was initially carrying a 12-pack of beer, Guillen said he lost sight of the victim’s hands as he made a sudden move.

“I got scared,” Guillen said. “I just shot. I didn’t aim it or take my time or nothing … I was just trying to protect myself.” Guillen then sped away from the scene.

Officers found Valle lying on the ground suffering from a single gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at John F. Kennedy Memorial Hospital in Indio about 45 minutes after the shooting.

Deputy District Attorney Jacob Silva told jurors that they shouldn’t believe what he characterized as Guillen’s carefully crafted self-defense strategy. He told jurors to scrutinize Guillen’s actions following the shooting — fleeing the scene, failing to call 911, concealing the bullet hole in his
car door and checking into a Palm Desert motel.

Guillen, the prosecutor said, never mentioned to authorities before the trial that he feared for his life. “The defendant had two years — two years — to come up with the story he told you here,” Silva said.

Defense attorney Tony Deaztlan asked the jury to consider if Guillen reasonably could have believed he or his brother were in danger. He reminded the jurors of the silent U Save surveillance video they watched of Lionel Guillen being confronted by Valle and Ibanez moments before the call to his sibling.

“You don’t need to have heard the words. The body language showed it was very serious,” Deaztlan said. He told jurors to put themselves in the defendant’s shoes — “What was in the mind of Omar in those 20 seconds?”