Jury finds pair guilty of second-degree murder in 2015 Indio killing
A jury that was previously deadlocked found two reputed gang members guilty today in the 2015 shooting death of a 19-year-old man in Indio.
Martin Gutierrez Jr., 24, and Enrique Villa Alvarez, 23, both were found guilty of second-degree murder and a gang enhancement in the killing of Indio resident Julio Chavez Barraza on Sept. 22, 2015.
Gutierrez also was found guilty of two other charges from an alleged crime that occurred six weeks prior to Barraza’s death, possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and attempted murder.
Prior to entering the courtroom Thursday, Gutierrez’s attorney, Christopher DeSalva, said he filed a motion for these charges to be tried separately, but the request was denied.
The guilty verdicts come after jurors were deadlocked in a 10-2 split on the murder charge Thursday.
The 2015 shooting was reported at 9:11 p.m. outside an apartment complex in the 83-300 block of Gemini Street, police said. Chavez Barraza was pronounced dead at the scene.
The pair were arrested Sept. 23, 2015, according to jail records.
A witness to the murder — and friend of the victim — testified last month that Chavez Barraza was shot because he refused to give up his seat.
Both Gutierrez and Alvarez remain in custody at the Indio jail and are expected to be sentenced on May 24, according to Riverside County District Attorney’s Office PIO John Hall. They both face possible life sentences.
