Conviction Upheld for Man Who Murdered His 19-Year-Old Sister in North Hollywood

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA - A state appellate court panel Wednesday upheld a former North Hollywood resident's conviction for fatally stabbing his 19-year-old sister.

Mario Alejandro Martinez was convicted last year of first-degree murder for the Sept. 2, 2013 killing of his sister, Raquel.

A judge subsequently reduced Martinez's conviction to second-degree murder and sentenced him to 16 years to life in state prison.

Raquel Martinez went to her mother's apartment -- where her brother also lived -- to take her some milk she needed, and their mother told her to run after seeing him holding a knife, according to the appellate court panel's 14- page ruling.

Their mother unsuccessfully tried to intervene after Martinez caught up to his sister outside the family's home, the justices noted.

The two siblings had been involved in a dispute earlier that year, according to the ruling.

Two good Samaritans who witnessed the attack followed Martinez and directed police where to find him, Deputy District Attorney Matthew Vodnoy said after the verdict.

Martinez subsequently told police that he did not believe his sister had died, according to the ruling.

- City News Service / Image via Shutterstock