"Prosecutors allege Reyna was ordered to kill Villalba, who'd been marked for death after getting into a dispute with another Mexican Mafia member. At a preliminary hearing Wednesday, Det. Leticia Gamboa testified the message was relayed through David Oropeza, who like Reyna belonged to the Eastside Paramount gang. Reyna's lawyer, Theodore Batsakis, said his client denies killing Villalba but declined to comment further."
"Much of what authorities know about the homicide comes from Jairo Rodriguez Duque, who is also charged with Villalba's murder. Rodriguez's attorney, Scott Sanders, told The Times that Rodriguez may have described what led up to Villalba's killing but he didn't take part in it. "I want to be absolutely clear," Sanders told The Times. "Jairo Rodriguez never said he participated in this murder. This is why we have trials, and we're very much looking"
Andrew Reyna, David Oropeza and Jairo Rodriguez Duque face charges in the January 10, 2021 killing of 64-year-old Samuel Villalba at a Long Beach homeless encampment. Villalba, nicknamed "Negro," was described as a made member of the Mexican Mafia and had been marked for death after a dispute with another member. Detectives testified that an order to kill Villalba was relayed through Oropeza to Reyna. Reyna and Oropeza pleaded not guilty to murder and conspiracy. Much investigative information comes from Rodriguez, whose attorney says Rodriguez did not participate despite describing events leading up to the killing.
Read at Los Angeles Times
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]