At Trial For Santana Row Teen Murder Suspect, Defense Suggests the Victim Might Have Also Been Armed

A murder trial in San Jose reached closing statements for a 13-year-old accused of fatally stabbing 15-year-old David Gutierrez on Valentine’s Day 2025. Gutierrez had gone to Santana Row for a date and was described as a good student with no gang affiliations. Investigators said a group of five teens descended on him, assuming he was a Norteno based on his red jacket. The teens were allegedly Surenos using red as a disguise. The defense argued the accused acted in self-defense and could reasonably have believed Gutierrez was armed, citing alleged escalation by Gutierrez’s girlfriend and prior public conflicts. The defense also described the accused’s upbringing as shaping fear and impulsive reactions.

"Public defender Jennifer Redding argued in her closing statement that her client, now 14, acted in self-defense and could reasonably have assumed that Gutierrez was also armed. Redding's defense included evidence that Gutierrez's girlfriend had helped to spur and escalate the fight between the two boys, even allegedly saying, “You're going to fight my boyfriend one on one,” and that the two had been known to get in public conflicts with others."

"The group of five teens, who were also wearing red, allegedly descended on Gutierrez, assuming he was a Norteno as KRON4 earlier reported, investigators learned that the boys were affiliated with the Surenos, who typically wear blue, but they were wearing red that day as a ruse to disguise their true affiliation. The 13-year-old, who was identified early on in the investigation as the wielder of the knife that killed Guttierez, has been on trial for over a month, and the case will soon be in the hands of the jury."

"Gutierrez, a good student who had no gang affiliations, had arrived at Santana Row that evening for a date with his girlfriend, and he was wearing a red jacket an indication that he could be a Norteno gang member which his family said he was wearing because of the holiday. The killing of Gutierrez made headlines for months around the Bay, after details emerged that the suspects ranged in age from 13 to 18, and the motivation for the stabbing was likely gang-related."

"According to the public defender, her client was conditioned by his upbringing in a rough neighborhood of San Jose to be fearful and impulsive, and that violence like what occurred that February day was “recreational” for boys like him. Redding also cast doubt on pros"

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