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STOCKTON - A 21-year-old woman wanted in connection with a drive-by killing in April was arrested Wednesday upon her return to the United States.

The San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office said Georgina Nunez fled to Mexico after the fatal shooting April 5 in Boggs Tract of Eduardo Cornejo. Acting on information they'd received that she would return, detectives were waiting for her at San Jose International Airport. Nunez was arrested and booked on suspicion of murder and two counts of attempted murder.

The investigation of Cornejo's killing took a strange turn in December, when deputies serving a search warrant at a home in the 5100 block of East Main Street discovered a 25-year-old man who had been kidnapped and tortured.

One woman and four men have been charged with that crime.

Stockton criminal defense lawyer Lance Jacot of The Jacot Law Firm has represented many persons acussed of serious crimes and has handled many high profile homicide cases.  If you are in need of a dedicated and experienced criminal defense attorney in Stockton, Modesto, Sacramento, or any where in the greater Central Valley contact Stockton homicde attorney Lance Jacot toll free at 866-572-2084.

STOCKTON - A 20-year-old Stockton man charged with two murders dismissed his attorneys Monday, including one highly regarded for handling high-profile capital murder cases.

Percy Lamonte Camel faces a potential death sentence on charges he shot two men in separate incidents within three months. Camel and his attorneys met in private with the judge to discuss their difficulties.

After the closed hearing, San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge George Abdallah said he ruled in favor of Camel, relieving the two attorneys of the case. The judge did not say why Camel wanted new counsel or why he granted Camel's request.

Camel had been represented by San Joaquin County Chief Deputy Public Defender Miriam Lyell, who recently brought on San Francisco attorney Michael Burt to help her.

Burt has led or assisted in the defenses of Lyle Menendez, Charles Ng, Richard Ramirez and Cary Stayner. Recently, he assisted in the defense of Melissa Huckaby of Tracy.

For her part, Lyell last year defended an emergency room doctor of charges that he stole a dead patient's Rolex watch. A jury exonerated him.

Camel is charged with the Dec. 1, 2009, slaying of Roberto Hernandez, 21, at Amsterdam Place and Skyline Drive. He also is charged with the Feb. 7, 2010, killing of Francisco Bernardino, 24, at Mariposa and Farmington roads.

Upon dismissing the two attorneys, Abdallah assigned private Stockton attorney Lance Jacot to represent Camel. Walking into court, Jacot held a hushed meeting with Camel, who indicated he accepted Jacot.

Camel returns to court April 20.

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/smithblog.

Stockton criminal defense attorney Lance Jacot has represented defendants accused of serious crimes for over a decade.  He is qualified to handle the most serious type of cases, including capital homicide cases.  If you need the services of a highly qualified and dedicated criminal defense attorney in Stockton, CA then contact attorney Lance Jacot at the Jacot Law Firm for a free consultation.

Stockton attorney Lance Jacot can be reached 24 hours a day at (209) 463-1800 or through his website at www.Jacotlawfirm.com or email at LJacot@Jacotlawfirm.com.

College student named as suspect in slaying of woman in Costa Mesa

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By Christian Burkin

Record Staff Writer

May 28, 2010 12:00 AM

STOCKTON - A man found beaten unconscious in January in the backyard of a south Stockton home died Tuesday.

Officer Pete Smith, a spokesman for the Stockton Police Department, said the death of 43-year-old Joseph Sandoval had not yet been ruled a homicide. Investigators were still waiting for the Coroner's Office to link the exact cause of death to the beating.

"We have to have a definitive nexus between his death and his injuries," Smith said.

Sandoval was found around 11:30 a.m. Jan. 24, lying on the ground in the backyard of a home in the 1400 block of South American Street. He was taken to San Joaquin General Hospital, where doctors found he was bleeding internally. Investigators found what they thought was a crime scene in a standalone building in the backyard.

The white clapboard home was condemned as a public hazard by the city on Jan. 25, according to documents still posted near its front door Thursday morning. The home stands out among its neighbors, which are generally well-kept. Araceli Gonzalez, who lives nearby, said it was once one of the nicest on the block.

"And now it's basically a crack house," she said. "Everyone on Charter Way knows that house is empty."

The home's windows and doors were boarded over with plywood, except for one window in the back, which appeared to have been pried open. Beneath that window, a man was taking a nap. He awoke and prepared to move on, insisting he had only stopped for a moment. He said he knew Sandoval, but not well.

"I just knew him from the streets," he said. He declined to give his own name.

Contact reporter Christian Burkin at (209) 546-8279 or cburkin@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/burkinblog.

Contact The Jacot Law Firm at 888-823-4883.

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STOCKTON - Police are investigating the death of a man found shot Thursday night in north Stockton. A juvenile has been arrested and booked on murder charges in that case and another homicide in the same neighborhood earlier in the month.

Stockton police found Corry Rojas, 32, shot about 9:45 p.m. Thursday at his residence in the 700 block of Ponce de Leon Ave. He was taken to St. Joseph's Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

The suspect, a 16-year-old boy, was found in the residence and arrested without incident. He was booked into juvenile hall on felony murder charges related to Thursday's slaying and the earlier homicide, which occurred May 1 in the 8600 block of Santa Paula Way.

In that case, police found a 30-year-old man shot to death in the alley between Santa Maria and Santa Paula ways after they received a report of a shooting about 10:30 that night. Three days after the killing, the Stockton Police Department still had not released the identity of the victim, because family had not been notified.

The first shooting occurred around a cluster of apartments just west of Kennedy Elementary School. One bullet also struck the gas main to a nearby building, requiring authorities to shut off the gas to several apartments, according to police.

No further details were available Friday.

If you are need of an experienced homicide attorney in Stockton then contact The Jacot Law Firm and speak with Lance Jacot.

STOCKTON - With a gag order on Melissa Huckaby's case still in place, the public has no clearer understanding today of the hows and whys of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu's death.

San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus appears steadfast in her decision to keep details of the Tracy crime under wraps. After taking a guilty plea Monday from 29-year-old Huckaby, Lofthus said she wanted time to consider lifting her gag order.

It's unclear when Lofthus may release key documents in Huckaby's case - if ever.

One legal expert said there is logic behind the judge's ruling, while a second said freezing this information could engender further suspicion of government.

A third attorney, John Schick, who teaches at Stockton's Humphreys College Laurence Drivon School of Law, said now is the time for the public to wade into the details of Sandra's death despite their disturbing nature.

Schick said disclosure might finally bring closure to a community left reeling.

"I think that would be very helpful to people's sense of healing," Schick said. "We've all had so many questions about the unusual nature of the case."

Before her guilty plea, Huckaby was headed to trial in October and a possible death sentence for Sandra's March 27, 2009, kidnapping, rape and murder.

In a surprise development, Huckaby pleaded guilty to first-degree murder and kidnapping, which carry a prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole. Lofthus is expected to sentence Huckaby formally June 14.

Soon after taking the case last year, Lofthus imposed a gag order, preventing involved parties from talking to the media. Lofthus sealed the autopsy reports and volumes of transcripts from a grand jury hearing, among documents that give insight into the crime.

Aside from a small circle of attorneys and investigators on the case, nobody knows how Sandra died - initially drawing a rape charge - and what motive Huckaby may have had for carrying out the crime. Sandra's body was found stuffed in a black suitcase and dumped in a dairy pond.

Lofthus has said she feared releasing the details which could taint the jury pool. She also said she wanted to protect the privacy of Sandra's family. "There is no doubt the public views the sexual assault of a child to be a heinous act," the judge said in a hearing one year ago.

After Huckaby's plea, San Joaquin County Deputy District Attorney Thomas Testa asked Lofthus to lift the gag order, and San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Sam Behar said he had no problem with that.

Lofthus refused, saying she didn't want to "undo anything we've done here today," referring to the plea deal.

Schick said that assuming Lofthus followed procedure while taking Huckaby's plea, there is no way the defendant can change her mind and back out of her guilty plea. The sentencing next month amounts to a clerical act, because the pleas carry a prescribed life prison term, Schick said.

"There's no discretion left for anybody," Schick said. "Why not get the information out there?"

Yet Ruth Jones, a former criminal prosecutor and now a law professor at University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law in Sacramento, said she presumes Lofthus wants to keep the details quiet until after Huckaby's sentencing.

"The case really isn't over at this level until she is sentenced," Jones said.

She said Lofthus may fear the plea deal could fall apart for some unforeseen reason. It is quite difficult for a defendant to withdraw a plea, she said, but it is not unheard of.

Jones said Lofthus might encounter a big challenge if she wishes to protect Sandra's family by sealing the Huckaby documents permanently. Once the case is over, the public's right to know would outweigh the family's privacy rights, Jones said.

At a constitutional level, the public has a right to observe the court process to make sure the criminal justice system is functioning correctly, Jones said.

"There has to be some justification as to why the public doesn't have a right to know," she said.

Donna Shestowsky, a psychologist and law professor at the University of California, Davis, King Hall School of Law, said there is possibly a darker consequence to secrecy in a case such as this. It tends to heighten people's suspicions of government, she said, citing research.

Allowing the public to observe the process can be more important than the outcome in terms of how people react to authority figures, such as the judge in this case, Shestowsky said.

"If everything is kept quiet on such a shocking case, then that can definitely have negative consequences," she said. "In some ways, it can have a boomerang effect and make people want to know more."

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/smithblog.

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STOCKTON - Police said a 20-year-old man who died Monday after being stabbed in central Stockton was killed by two teens he tried to rob.

The man was pronounced dead at Dameron Hospital; his name has not been released. The teens were questioned by police and released pending further investigation.

The teens told police that they were walking near Glencannon and El Dorado streets at about 2:50 p.m. when the man pulled a necklace from one of their necks and ran. They chased and caught the man, who then pepper-sprayed them, police said.

The teens told police they wrestled with the man and stabbed him to defend themselves. A passer-by later drove the stabbed man to Dameron Hospital.

Police later arrested Valerie Bravo-Rodriguez, 18, and Emar Deshawn Smith, 25, who they said also were involved in the robbery.

If you have been charged with a homicide or other vioent felony contact Stockton Homicide attorney Lance Jacot.  Call 24 hours a day at 888-823-4883.

The Jacot Law Firm
11 South San Joaquin Street, Suite 703
Stockton, CA 95202
Tel. (209) 463-1800
Fax (209) 463-1811

STOCKTON - A 31-year-old man was sentenced Monday to 15 years to life in state prison for killing his former girlfriend whose charred remains were found last year in a field outside Stockton.

Luis Alonso Vega said nothing and stared straight ahead as San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Bernard Garber pronounced the sentence that could keep Vega in prison for the rest of his life for killing Jennifer Nicole Holland of Tracy.

Investigators believe Holland, 19, was shot at a Tracy home and driven to the field southwest of Stockton where her body was set on fire. Prosecutors presented no motive for the crime during the trial. Holland and Vega had a longtime relationship, and her blood was found in his car.

Jurors last month acquitted Vega's co-defendant Zackarie James Beck, 18, and Vega, who has a large tattoo across his forehead, was found guilty of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Garber said he wished every schoolchild could have watched the trial and personally witnessed the real side of drug abuse. Illegal drugs have become a national epidemic and "virtually nothing" is being done to stop it, he said.

"There's no glamour. There's nothing positive," Garber said. "It's just a negative downward spiral, and, unfortunately, this one ended in tragedy."

Michelle Holland, the victim's mother, said during the hearing that her daughter was planning to begin a county drug treatment program the day she was killed. She never made it there, said Holland, who shook as she spoke.

"My daughter was beautiful and loving," she said and then cast her eyes to Vega. "My daughter loved everybody, even scumbags like that."

Vega's co-defendant Beck was tried for the murder as an adult; he was 17 at the time. No evidence connected him directly to the crime, his attorney said.

San Joaquin County Deputy Public Defender Lance Jacot outside court said that he hopes his former client Beck can leave behind the bad company he kept that landed him on trial and facing life in prison.

According to Jacot, Holland was murdered on a couch in Beck's Tracy home, but Beck was at work all day in a factory for custom motorcycle parts, Jacot said.

"Hopefully, Zack can turn his life around and get back on track," Jacot said.

Contact reporter Scott Smith at (209) 546-8296 or ssmith@recordnet.com.

If you have been charged with murder you need an experienced attorney who has the expertise, dedication and tenacity to win your case.  Contact homicide attorney Lance Jacot of The Jacot Law Firm for a free consultation.

For the central valley office call- (209) 463-1800.

For the southern California office call- (949) 748-6992.

Or call toll free 888-823-4884

STOCKTON — Melissa Huckaby admitted guilt today to the murder and kidnapping last year of 8-year-old Sandra Cantu in a crime that shocked Tracy and captured national attention.

The surprise development spares Huckaby, 29, of the possible death sentence, which prosecutors intended to seek in trial. Under the negotiated plea deal announced in a Stockton courtroom, Huckaby will spend the rest of her natural life in state prison.

Huckaby pleaded guilty to murder with the special circumstance of kidnapping. All other charges against her were dropped, including charges of rape and poisoning.

Huckaby's guilty plea came a little more than one year after a surveillance camera captured one of Sandra's last living moments on March 27, 2009, as she happily skipped through Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park in Tracy.

Both Sandra and Huckaby's families lived in the mobile home park. Sandra was a playmate of Huckaby's young daughter.

Days later farm workers discovered Sandra's body about two miles north of town stuffed in a black suitcase and discarded in a dairy pond. Hucakby was linked to the suitcase and charged with special circumstances murder. Her trial was set to begin in October.

San Joaquin County Superior Court Judge Linda Lofthus set Huckaby's formal sentencing date for June 14.

Read Tuesday's Record for more on this story by staff writer Scott Smith.

If you have been charged with murder you need a qualified and experienced attorney to represent you.  Contact The Jacot Law Firm for a free consultation.  Toll Free 888-823-4883.

Attorney Lance Jacot has tried numerous murder cases, and is qualified to handle death penalty cases.