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Following a three-day jury trial, an alleged gang member was convicted Thursday of shooting and killing a Magna man outside the victim's home two years ago.
Joe Perez, 19, was found guilty of first-degree felony murder for the May 2014 death of 40-year-old Carlos L. Martinez.
The 3rd District Court jury also convicted Perez of two counts of felony discharge of a firearm with serious bodily injury, a first-degree felony; obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony; and six counts of felony discharge of a firearm, a second-degree felony.
Perez faces up to life in prison when he is sentenced Jan. 9 by Judge Paul Parker.
Martinez was shot in front of his house near 3800 South Armoridge Drive (8180 West) at about 9 p.m. on May 4, 2014.
Prosecutors said Perez, a member of a subset of the Nortenos gang, and another teen had earlier that day gotten into an argument with Martinez — who belonged to the Surenos gang when he was younger but was no longer a part of it.
After Perez and the other teen left, Martinez and his daughter's boyfriend got into a car and located them several block away, where the argument continued.
Skyler Burnasconi, who said he associates with the Nortenos gang, testified Tuesday that Perez later told him Martinez had called him names and that their confrontation almost became physical. Burnasconi said Perez alluded to being outmatched by much larger rival gang members and having to back down.
Burnasconi gave Perez and another man, whose name he says he never learned, a ride to Magna, where at most, he expected a fistfight. When they arrived at Martinez's home, however, Martinez walked out of his front door and Perez exited the car and fired seconds later, Burnasconi testified.
"I was caught completely by surprise," Burnasconi said.
Perez left the gun in Burnasconi's car, he said, and retrieved it the next day. A few days later, Perez messaged him on Facebook to show off a new word tattooed on his chest — "Norte" — saying he "earned it," Burnasconi said.
Under cross-examination, Burnasconi denied that he was the one who had shot Martinez, supposedly to curry favor with the Nortenos.
Defense attorney Rudy Bautista told jurors that the wrong man was on trial, claiming that detectives told Burnasconi that he "could be a witness or a defendant," and he eventually said Perez was the shooter.
The prosecution gave Burnasconi immunity, Bautista said, and he was not charged.
"In exchange for his story, he went home that day," Bautista said.