On The Run For Nearly 2 Decades After Killing Cousin, Man Sentenced To 50 Years In Prison

RIVERSIDE, CA — A 52-year-old man who gunned down his cousin in a dispute more than two decades ago was sentenced Monday to 50 years to life in state prison.

A Riverside jury on Thursday convicted Luis Contreras of first-degree murder and a sentence enhancement of using a firearm in the commission of a felony for the 2005 slaying of 38-year-old Alfonso Vera of Riverside.

Contreras requested immediate sentencing following the verdict at the Riverside Hall of Justice, but because the courts were closed Friday in observance of Native American Day, the hearing was postponed until Monday, when Riverside County Superior Court Judge Jerry Yang imposed the term of imprisonment required under state law.

According to a trial brief filed by the District Attorney's Office, on the evening of June 14, 2005, the defendant, then 31, joined his cousin, Fernando Contreras, in going to a party hosted by their other cousin, Vera, at his residence in the 4700 block of Doane Avenue, near Wells Avenue.

Fernando Contreras arrived at the location angry because his girlfriend, identified only as "Darlene," had gone to the party with another woman in his vehicle, without checking with him first — or offering to pick him up along the way, the brief said.

Contreras immediately confronted Darlene, triggering a heated verbal altercation that turned physical.

"Vera attempted to stop the altercation," according to the brief. "The defendant was standing nearby, with a firearm in his hand. When Vera noticed the gun, he made a comment to the defendant."

It was possibly a request to put the pistol away, or leave the residence, but witnesses were unsure of the victim's exact words.

The Riverside Police Department said in a statement released last year that Luis Contreras sided with Fernando Contreras in the dispute with Darlene and didn't believe Vera had any right to intervene, prompting him to pull the gun on the victim.

In the ensuing confrontation, the defendant fired 13 shots at Vera in close proximity, killing him on the spot, court papers stated.

Luis Contreras then jumped into a Toyota Camry with another partygoer, identified as "Arturo," and fled the scene, according to the prosecution.

Fernando Contreras and several other people also left the location before Riverside police officers arrived.

However, after speaking with the remaining witnesses, homicide detectives quickly pieced together the events, as well as the identities of the parties involved, according to the brief.

Investigators said Luis Contreras made a run for the Mexican border within 48 hours. He remained a fugitive from justice, hiding out south of the border, until 2024.

The murder investigation was inactive until the police department's Cold Case Unit resumed searching for the defendant, with the help of the U.S. Marshals Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force. The investigation pointed to Contreras' likely whereabouts, and Mexican National Police were asked to serve a fugitive warrant and take him into custody, which they did in Mexicali on July 8, 2024.

He was extradited back to the U.S. a couple of weeks later.

Court records indicated the defendant had a prior felony conviction for which he served time in state prison, but no details were available.