The prosecution rested Friday afternoon in the Santa Maria trial of six men charged with the gang-related torture-slaying of Anthony Ibarra, and a judge began hearing attorneys’ motions about why their defendants should be acquitted before denying a request for the alleged shot-caller.
After entering approximately 500 items into evidence, Senior Deputy District Attorney Ann Bramsen officially rested her case in the afternoon, culminating the seventh week for the trial’s testimony stage.
“The People’s case is finished,” Judge Rick Brown told jurors.
Jury selection began Nov. 17 with hundreds of candidates queried before the panel of 12 plus six alternates were selected.
Defense attorneys will now present their cases next week, after Brown finishes hearing the various motions for acquittal.
Six men are on trial for the March 17, 2013, slaying of the 28-year-old Ibarra, a drug dealer who allegedly had debts to the gang. He was brutally assaulted in a house at 1142 W. Donovan Road. His body was found days later inside a rented U-Haul truck parked on a street in Orcutt.
Michael Scott, who represents the alleged shot-caller Ramon “Crazy Ray” Maldonado, said the prosecution’s case lacked corroborating evidence against his client for the charges.
He argued that two prosecution witnesses, a sister and brother who lived at the house, actually were accomplices.
“We do not have any corroboration of Mr. Maldonado doing anything to commit a crime,” Scott said.
Bramsen disagreed, saying there was no evidence the witnesses had the mental state to commit murder.
Instead, she said, independent evidence proved Maldonado had been working with another defendant in the weeks before the murder to locate Ibarra due to drug taxes he owed the gang.
Bramsen added that plenty of corroborating evidence ties Maldonado to the crime — GPS tracking equipment he wore placed him at the residence the day of the murder, DNA on a beer can retrieved from the house, DNA on a latex glove found on the floor.
“Ramon Maldonado’s acquittal is hereby denied,” Brown said.
Defense attorney Addison Steele argued for why his client, Anthony “AJ” Solis should be acquitted, noting his man was “getting rousted because he owed money for drugs.” Because of this, Steele said, Solis wasn’t lying in wait.
“I don’t think there’s sufficient evidence to convict Mr. Solis,” Steele said, adding the trial lacked evidence Solis intended to kill Ibarra.
Before being interrupted by the end of the court day, Bramsen said she strongly disagreed with Steele’s interpretation of the law and noted evidence that Solis was aware Ibarra was in trouble with the gang.
She said one witness recalled a conversation that Solis had warned one man to stay away from Ibarra.
“They were looking for him and anyone with him was going to get caught up,” Bramsen said.
In a text message to another defendant, Solis claimed to have found Ibarra.
And, Bramsen said, Solis was arrested with a pair of gloves in his pocket. Those gloves, similar to ones reportedly worn by several defendants the day of the attack, had Ibarra’s blood on them, she added.
Also charged in the case are Maldonado’s father, David “Pops” Maldonado, represented by David Bixby; Jason Castillo, represented by Adrian Andrade; Reyes “Pumpkin” Gonzales, represented by Tom Allen; and Santos “Lil Tuffy” Sauceda, represented by Fred Foss.
The six men are charged with first-degree murder along with several special circumstances including lying in wait, kidnap, torture and gang involvement. They also face an allegation of committing a crime for the benefit of criminal street gang.
In addition, Ramon Maldonado faces two counts of witness intimidation.
Five other people — including the teen son of Ramon Maldonado and grandson of David Maldonado — were charged in connection with the slaying but cases against them have been resolved.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.