Mexican Mafia murderer stalked sufferer on birthday, detective testifies

Even on his birthday, Andrew Reyna couldn’t flip down an order from the Mexican Mafia.

That’s based on a Lengthy Seashore Police Division detective who testified Wednesday about proof that led authorities to cost Reyna and two others with the homicide of Samuel Villalba.

Villalba, an Artesia native nicknamed “Negro,” was mentioned to have been a made member of the Mexican Mafia, a jail syndicate that holds sway over many Latino gangs in Southern California. On the time of his demise on Jan. 10, 2021, Villalba, 64, was residing in a tent beneath a freeway overpass in Lengthy Seashore.

Prosecutors allege Reyna was ordered to kill Villalba, who’d been marked for demise after getting right into a dispute with one other Mexican Mafia member.

At a preliminary listening to Wednesday, Det. Leticia Gamboa testified the message was relayed by David Oropeza, who like Reyna belonged to the Eastside Paramount gang.

Reyna’s lawyer, Theodore Batsakis, mentioned his shopper denies killing Villalba however declined to remark additional. Reyna and Oropeza have pleaded not responsible to costs of homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide.

A lot of what authorities know in regards to the murder comes from Jairo Rodriguez Duque, who can also be charged with Villalba’s homicide.

Rodriguez’s legal professional, Scott Sanders, instructed The Occasions that Rodriguez could have described what led as much as Villalba’s killing however he didn’t participate in it.

“I need to be completely clear,” Sanders instructed The Occasions. “Jairo Rodriguez by no means mentioned he participated on this homicide. For this reason we have now trials, and we’re very a lot trying ahead to proving Jairo Rodriguez didn’t do that homicide.”

Arrested in June, Rodriguez instructed detectives that Oropeza invited him to a party the day Villalba was killed, Gamboa testified. Rodriguez and Oropeza each labored at Homeboy Industries, a program that helps gang members and parolees discover work, go to highschool and take away tattoos, amongst different providers. Oropeza, 50, spent a few decade in jail for manslaughter, courtroom data present.

It was Reyna’s forty fifth birthday, and Rodriguez mentioned he and Oropeza had been celebrating at Reyna’s home when Oropeza obtained a name. After talking in a hushed tone, Gamboa testified, Oropeza hung up, turned to Reyna and mentioned, “Go deal with that.”

In keeping with the detective, Oropeza instructed Reyna to take a “teenager” with him.

“I’m going to take this one right here,” Reyna allegedly mentioned, gesturing to Rodriguez, then 20.

With Reyna giving instructions, Rodriguez mentioned he drove to a residential space and parked. They walked behind a shopping mall, hopped a fence and continued alongside a mud path to a homeless camp. Rodriguez mentioned Reyna slipped on a pair of gloves and handed him a masks, Gamboa testified.

Reyna began peering into tents, asking for somebody, Rodriguez mentioned.

After serving about 16 years in federal jail for racketeering, Villalba ended up residing in a set of tents alongside the railroad tracks that run beneath the 91 Freeway. He was hooked on heroin and affected by cirrhosis, based on a search warrant affidavit and a coroner’s report. The affidavit mentioned Villalba saved his tent “neat and arranged.”

When Reyna regarded inside Villalba’s tent, Gamboa testified, he mentioned: “I discovered you.”

In keeping with what Rodriguez instructed detectives, Reyna shot Villalba and instructed Rodriguez to run.

“What the f—?” Rodriguez requested Reyna as they drove away.

“Don’t fear about it,” Reyna replied, in Rodriguez’s telling. “He was a bit of s—. Don’t be a bit of b—.”

They returned to Reyna’s home, the place Oropeza was ready, Gamboa testified. In keeping with the detective, Oropeza had texted Rodriguez simply earlier than the killing, asking him to select up sodas on the way in which dwelling.

“It’s achieved,” Reyna instructed Oropeza after they walked in, based on Rodriguez.

“Don’t fear,” Oropeza allegedly instructed Rodriguez. “Nothing’s going to occur to you.”

Gamboa testified that she canvassed the world the place Villalba’s killers had been seen fleeing on surveillance video. Close to a fence they’d clambered over, Gamboa mentioned, she discovered a latex glove that contained Reyna’s DNA.

Oropeza’s legal professional, Kevin McGurk, argued that prosecutors couldn’t show his shopper agreed to homicide Villalba. He didn’t present the alleged killers a weapon, automobile, cash or assist evading arrest, he mentioned. Oropeza could have recognized Villalba was going to get killed, McGurk mentioned, however “information, unhealthy intentions, is just not sufficient.”

Unpersuaded, Los Angeles County Superior Courtroom Choose Laura Laesecke mentioned she’d seen sufficient proof for Oropeza to face trial. Reyna and Rodriguez have but to have their preliminary listening to.