Jury Convicts Man In Pasadena Murder

ALHAMBRA, CA — A man who was extradited from Illinois to stand trial in a friend's shooting death in South Pasadena was convicted Friday of first-degree murder.

Jurors deliberated a little over two hours before finding Juan Carlos Perez, 41, of Los Angeles, guilty of killing Noe Martinez, 35.

Perez fled from a white Toyota Corolla after a South Pasadena police officer patrolling in the 1000 block of Arroyo Drive noticed the car parked on the side of the road with its windows fogged up in the early morning hours of Nov. 21, 2009, said Deputy District Attorney Kevin Keeland.

The officer discovered Martinez slumped over inside the car with two gunshot wounds to the head, the prosecutor said. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.

Authorities found a firearm holster under the driver's seat and two expended 9 mm casings in the back seat of the car, which was registered to Perez, according to evidence presented at his trial.

Authorities have not determined a motive for the shooting, but the prosecutor said the two men had been at a bar together before the shooting.

Perez was charged in December 2009 with the killing, but remained a fugitive until late 2010, when a law enforcement agency in Illinois ran his fingerprints in their database and learned he was wanted for murder. Perez was subsequently extradited to California.

He is facing up to 50 years to life in state prison, with sentencing set for Aug. 11 at the Alhambra courthouse.

City News Service