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SpectrumMar07.qxd 4/26/2007 4:49 PM Page 27
REDWOOD CITY’S MONTHLY MAGAZINE
News Briefs
S
JUVENILES GUILTY OF MURDER IN
TOWN MURDER
Three juvenile gang members accused of
participating in the fatal gang-related shooting
of a 31-year-old Redwood City man two
years ago along with two others charged as
adults were convicted of first-degree murder,
likely sending them to the California
Youth Authority until age 25.
FAUSTINO AYALA
Petitions were sustained — the juvenile
court equivalent of a conviction — against
Edgar Alvarez, 16, Juan Orozco, 15, and
Daniel Vargas, 16. The names of minors
accused of crimes are released when they are
charged as adults or convicted of certain
serious crimes. Orozco is the younger brother
of Josue Orozco, 16, who is currently the
youngest person ever charged with murder
as an adult in San Mateo County. Orozco
and Faustino Ayala, 22, are scheduled for
trial in July.
The three boys’ juvenile trial actually
occurred last fall but unlike in adult proceedings
closing arguments and verdicts are
not required to follow immediately. More
than six months after hearing the evidence,
Judge Norman Gatzert found them guilty of
murder and belonging to a street gang.
They return to court May 18 for sentencing
and face a maximum term of incarceration at
CYA until age 25.
On July 12, 2005, according to the prosecution,
the five Sureño defendants encountered
Francisco Rodriguez near his apartment carport
at 475 Redwood Ave. Orozco, then 14,
allegedly got out of the car, covered his face,
pulled a gun from his waistband and, as
Rodriguez turned, fired a shot. Ayala is
believed to be the getaway driver.
The five were arrested less than 24 hours
after the shooting and Orozco allegedly confessed.
Prosecutors used California’s Proposition 21
to charge Orozco as an adult. His defense
attorney has tried repeatedly since to have
his client’s case moved back to juvenile
court.
Unlike the juvenile defendants just convicted,
Orozco faces life in prison without the
possibility of parole unless a judge throws
out the special gang allegation. Prosecutors
chose not to pursue the death penalty for
Ayala and minors cannot face capital punishment.
Under a bill recently proposed by state Sen.
Leland Yee (D-San Francisco/San Mateo),
even Orozco would have a chance at eventual
freedom. Yee’s bill would cap the maximum
penalty at 25 years to life in prison for
all juveniles tried as adults.
All defendants remain in custody on no-bail
status.
REDWOOD CITY YOUTH DIES IN
CAR ACCIDENT
The San Mateo County Coroner’s Office has
identified a passenger killed in a solo-vehicle
crash in Atherton March 16 as Eduardo
Agustin Reyes, 18, of Redwood City, Senior
Deputy Coroner Kristine Gamble reported.
Gamble said an autopsy of Reyes’ body was
being performed as The Spectrum went to
press.
San Mateo County Sheriff’s Capt. Don
O’Keefe said the incident began in unincorporated
Redwood City when deputies spotted
a 2002 Ford Mustang weaving erratically
while traveling eastbound on Fifth
Avenue toward Semicircular Road.
Deputies tried to pull over the Mustang,
which was traveling between 25 and 30
mph, by turning on their flashing lights. At
first it appeared the suspects were going to
pull over, but when the deputies sounded
their siren, the Mustang sped away southbound
on Middlefield Road, O’Keefe said.
The driver traveled into the oncoming lane
at a high rate of speed to pass a bus and a car,
and deputies decided against a pursuit,
O’Keefe said.
“They felt the guy was drunk anyway and
didn’t want to cause an accident by chasing
him like that,’” he said.
The deputies came upon the accident about a
half-mile away, at the corner of Middlefield
Road and Heritage Court in Atherton.
Atherton police, who are investigating the
incident jointly with the San Mateo County
Sheriff’s Office, said it appears the Mustang
was trying to negotiate a bend in the road
near Holbrook Lane when it crossed over to
the opposite shoulder and struck two trees.
The driver, a 27-year-old Redwood City
man whose name police have not released,
ran from the scene and was quickly taken
into custody by deputies, O’Keefe said.
Investigators believe drunken driving and
excessive speed were to blame for the crash.
The driver’s breath smelled of alcohol and
empty alcohol bottles were found inside the
car, O’Keefe reported. Reyes, a passenger in
the rear of the car, died at the scene, authorities
reported.
The driver and a second passenger suffered
moderate injuries and were both taken to
Stanford Hospital. “It sounds like they
weren’t seat-belted and were thrown around
the car,” O’Keefe said.
The injured passenger refused to identify
himself to authorities Friday morning,
O’Keefe said.
The driver will be booked into San Mateo
County Jail when he is released from the
hospital. “He’ll be arrested on felony DUI
and manslaughter charges,” O’Keefe said.
TEACHERS, DISTRICT REACH
TENTATIVE CONTRACT
Redwood City teachers will receive a 6.11
percent increase in total compensation this
school year under a tentative three-year contract
announced by the Redwood City
School District.
In making the announcement, District
Superintendent Jan Christensen said the
increases may require cuts in other areas to
ensure a balanced budget.
The multi-year agreement will give teachers
a 4.5 percent salary increase retroactive to
July 1, 2006, with an additional increase to
begin this month — a total of 5.26 percent
increase for this year and an ongoing
increase of 6.5 percent.
In addition, the district reported it had
already increased health benefits by 0.8 percent
in July. After July 1, 2007, the value of
the compensation package goes up to 7.35
percent. The third year compensation will be
negotiated later, according to the district.
Teacher salaries will range from $41,544 to
$80,851 plus the health package, according
to the district.
POLICE SEARCH FOR THREE
SUSPECTS IN HOME INVASION
ROBBERY
Residents of a Redwood City home were
robbed at gunpoint late by three masked men
who escaped with a large sum of money,
Redwood City police reported.
According to police, the victims, who live in
the 800 block of Palm Avenue, answered a
knock on their door at about 11:30 a.m.
Three men wearing ski masks and armed
with guns then forced their way into the
home and ordered the victims, two adults
and a youth, to the floor, police reported.
One of the suspects removed a safe containing
“a large amount of cash” from the back
bedroom, and all three then fled by car,
according to police.
The three suspects are described as Hispanic
men, one a heavyset man.
The escape vehicle reportedly was an early
’90s black Jeep Cherokee with a gold stripe.
The vehicle was last seen heading north on
Hudson Avenue.
PRISON POSSIBLE FOR THIRD
PROBATION VIOLATION
A Redwood City man convicted of shooting
at the home of an officer who gave him a
parking ticket four years previously could go
to prison for five years if a judge finds he
violated his probation for a third time.
Eric Douglas Chaney, 38, pleaded not guilty
to the violation charge and returns to court
April 17. The probation department recommends
Chaney’s original five-year sentence
be imposed, unlike previous violations in
August 2004 and November 2006, which
have brought only more probation time.
In April 2003, Chaney was charged with a
felony count of making a criminal threat and
two misdemeanor counts of driving under
the influence. Chaney was angry over a
1991 traffic ticket and began a harassment
campaign, including shots fired at the officer’s
home, according to the District
Attorney’s Office. On April 25, 2003,
Chaney called Detective Mark Pollio and
threatened to kill him, his wife and his children.
An hour later, he drove while intoxicated
to the police station, according to the
District Attorney’s Office.
His recent probation violations involve not
alerting his officer to where he lives, according
to prosecutors. Chaney remains in custody
on no-bail status.
FAKE INS DOCUMENTS
LEAD TO JAIL
A 35-year-old man with a history of manufacturing
phony identification and false citizenship
paperwork was immediately sentenced
to 16 months in prison after pleading
no contest to a new charge of offering a
police officer false documents.
Ivan Ornelas changed his plea on the single
added charge at a pretrial conference rather
than stand trial on multiple counts of false
representation and being under the influence
of drugs. Ornelas waived his right to a presentencing
probation report and was immediately
sentenced. He receives credit for 93
days against his term and must also pay standard
restitution and security fines.
On Jan. 2, according to the Sheriff’s Office,
Ornelas was contacted by a deputy sheriff at
Chavez Market in Redwood City. As the
deputy approached, Ornelas reportedly
walked behind a car and dropped fake resident
alien cards and U.S. Social Security
cards.
The sheriff’s deputy said Ornelas gave him a
fake name and was under the influence of
drugs at the time. Ornelas has a prior 2004
conviction for possession and manufacturing
of phony identification. He was still on
probation at the time of the most recent
arrest.
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