Crime & Safety
Watsonville Man Murdered 4-Year-Old And Gang Rival, Jury Finds
Jurors found Michael Escobar guilty of first-degree murder in the slaying of a 4-year-old girl and 33-year-old rival gang member.
WATSONVILLE, CA — Jurors have found Watsonville resident Michael Escobar, 36, guilty of first-degree murder in the deaths of 4-year-old Jaelyn Zavala and rival gang Member Ramon Rendon, 33, KSBW reported. The case, filed in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, dates back to 2014, when Escobar shot Zavala and Rendon outside of the Fish House Bar & Grill in Watsonville.
On Monday the Santa Cruz County District Attorney's Office asked the jury to find him guilty of six counts related to first degree murder, participating in a gang, assault with a firearm and resisting peace officers. He is also charged with special allegations, which prosecutors may tack on to charges to enhance a punishment, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported.
Jurors found him guilty on all counts after deliberations began Tuesday, according to KSBW and the Sentinel.
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Read more about the case at the Santa Cruz Sentinel and KSBW.
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