The California Supreme Court declined to review the convictions of three men in the June 2001 killing of 13-year-old Jacqueline Piazza. An appellate panel found that Santos Grimaldi, Melvin Sandoval and Rogelio Contreras raised numerous challenges but that their substantive claims lacked merit. Grimaldi and Sandoval were convicted of first-degree murder and face life without parole, with jurors finding special circumstances including murder during a rape and a lewd act on a child plus gang and gun allegations. Contreras was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to 40 years to life. A separate defendant, Jorge Palacios, was earlier convicted and sentenced to life without parole.
About 2 1/2 months ago, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal noted that Santos Grimaldi, Melvin Sandoval and Rogelio Contreras raised a plethora of challenges to either their convictions or sentences, but found that their substantive challenges lack merit.
Grimaldi, now 42, and Sandoval, now 46, were convicted of first-degree murder for the June 2001 killing of Jacqueline Piazza and are serving life in prison without the possibility of parole. Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a rape and a lewd act on a child against the two, along with gang and gun allegations.
Contreras, now 48, was found guilty of second-degree murder, with jurors also finding true gang and gun allegations. He was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison.
Palacios was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in June 2019, moments after telling the teen's parents, I feel really terrible about what happened. Trust me, I wasn't part of what happened I know justice will be served.
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