Eleven years after a fatal gang-related stabbing in Guadalupe, a trial is underway in Santa Barbara County Superior Court for a defendant who had eluded capture for years.
Leonel Adrian Torres, 35, has been charged with murder along with two enhancements including that the crime involved criminal street gang activity.
Torres was one of several people linked to an altercation with a rival gang member at Roy’s Liquor and Market on Guadalupe Street, leading to the death of James Michael Christie, 24, on Aug. 16, 2008.
He was identified as being involved in the incident, but had escaped arrest for a number of years even as two other men were tried and convicted of the murder.
During their trial, Arturo Franco Palomar, 34, was convicted of wielding the weapon used to stab Christie. He and a second man, Jose Juan Morales Jr., 36, were convicted of murder and sentenced to state prison in 2010.
A warrant was issued for Torres, who was arrested and returned to Santa Barbara County to face charges in late 2016.
The trial started earlier this week, and in court Friday, one of men at the scene of the homicide testified for the prosecution.
Miguel Aguilera, who was placed in the California Witness Relocation and Assistance Program in a deal to testify for the prosecution and avoid criminal charges, spoke about heading to the store to purchase beer when he and his friends encountered Christie.
Aguilera turned himself in to police several days after the stabbing.
Video surveillance cameras captured the altercation that allegedly started after Torres asked the victim where he was from, leading Christie to reply with his gang moniker and Santa Maria affiliation.
“I knew that night that whatever mistake Mr. Palomar made was going to affect everyone for the rest of their lives,” Aguilera said.
But Aguilera’s replies Friday differed from earlier statements and previous trial testimony.
“A lot of the last trial is a blur because it was eight to 10 years ago,” said Aguilera, who also downplayed the gang involvement.
While the witness on Friday painted Christie as the aggressor, he previously told investigators a different story.
“He said that Mr. Christie was never a threat, that he was small,” Investigator Paul Zelis said.
Zelis, who now works for the District Attorney’s Office, was a Sheriff’s Department detective at the time of the stabbing, and investigated the stabbing.
Aguilera’s obvious reluctance to testify Friday led to several testy changes with Deputy District Attorney Lynmarc Jenkins, including Jenkins saying he appeared to be sidestepping a question.
The trial, which is expected to last into June, will resume at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday before Judge James Voysey.
— 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.