documents.
Alfaro’s attorney, Carlo Spiga, said although his client could face a total of 21 years in prison, he hopes the 10-year minimum agreed to with the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office will satisfy Judge Brandlin.
“The bottom line is Becerrada is probably the nastiest gangster in the westside of Los Angeles,” Spiga said.
Spiga said when Becerrada was released from prison he took up residence at the Ashland Avenue apartment where Alfaro’s mother, Sandra Alfaro, lived. The two had been dating prior to Becerrada going away to prison. Attorneys allege Becerrada used PCP and may have intended to sell drugs out of the apartment.
“Becerrada was a PCP addict, acting psychotic, and everyone was scared of him,” Spiga said. “He was playing psychological games with Sandra, saying stuff like, ‘If you give me any problems, I’ll just cut you up in little pieces and they won’t find ya until they smell ya.’”
Los Angeles County Department of the Coroner found Becerrada had PCP in his blood and a bag of cocaine in his rectum when he was murdered, according to autopsy results.
Anthony Alfaro and Yeron went to Sandra Alfaro’s apartment to confront Becerrada, according to Spiga. He added that Anthony Alfaro was fearful for his mother’s life and stole Becerrada’s 9-millimeter handgun, at which point Becerrada threatened Sandra and Anthony Alfaro’s lives. A confrontation ensued and Becerrada was shot three times in the head.
“Anthony Alfaro surfed and snow-boarded,” Spiga said. “He never joined a gang. Technically, the DA’s office had a case, but emotionally and common sense-wise we had a case as well, when you look at Alfaro’s lack of a criminal history and the extraordinary circumstances.”
Larry Droeger, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case, confirmed there were mitigating factors in the case that contributed to the DA’s office accepting a plea agreement.
Sandra Alfaro, 35, was arrested by Santa Monica police within days of the killing, along with Anthony Alfaro and Yeron, his friend.
Sandra Alfaro was charged as an accessory to the killing. She has since been credited for an 11-month prison stay and was released on Jan. 31, after pleading no contest to the accessory charge.
Yeron is not known to have a criminal record as an adult within Los Angeles County or in the California Department of Corrections. It is not known if Anthony Alfaro had a prior criminal record up to time of the shooting.
Sandra Alfaro has a criminal history that goes back to 1991, when she was convicted of petty theft. In 1996, she was convicted of welfare fraud. In 1999, she was convicted of petty theft, according to court documents. In 2001, she was convicted of reckless driving.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on May 17, 2005. Read the original PDF.