Man Gets Life in Prison Without Parole for Killing Man During Attempted Robbery, Carjacking

NORWALK, CA - A man was sentenced Wednesday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for killing a man who was run over with his own truck in Huntington Park after refusing to hand over his paycheck.

Superior Court Judge Roger Ito imposed the term on Brian Mendez, 25, who was convicted March 2 of the Jan. 13, 2012, murder of Efrain Perez-Ortiz.

Jurors also found true the special circumstance allegations of murder during the commission of a robbery and murder during the commission of a carjacking.

Co-defendant Misty Ruiz, 22, pleaded no contest last October to carjacking and admitted an allegation of use of a deadly weapon -- a car -- during the commission of the crime. She was sentenced in March to 11 years in state prison.

The two met Perez-Ortiz at a liquor store that day, drank alcohol in the victim's pickup and decided to go together in his truck to the victim's house to pick up some things, according to Deputy District Attorney Robert Villa.

When Perez-Ortiz returned to the vehicle, Ruiz propositioned him, but he refused to hand over his money and got out of the vehicle after Mendez hit him, according to the prosecutor.

Mendez subsequently ran over Perez-Ortiz with the victim's truck, crushing the 56-year-old man, before fleeing the scene, according to the prosecutor.

Mendez was linked to the attack through DNA from a hat left at the scene, Villa said.

Mendez confessed to the killing and revealed Ruiz's involvement when authorities went to interview him, the prosecutor said.

— City News Service, photo via Shutterstock