Defense attorneys go after victim’s criminal history
By GENEVA WHITMARSH Daily Press Staff Writer
LAX COURTHOUSE — Four people will be put on trial this fall for their alleged role in the murder of a Santa Monica man who was gunned down in front of an apartment complex in Ocean Park earlier this year.
Gabriel Becerrada, 38, died in early March at the doorstep of an apartment rented by his girlfriend, Sandra Alfaro, 34, and her two children. Becerrada was released from prison just three months before he was fatally shot.
Police arrested Alfaro, her then 17-year-old son, Anthony Alfaro, and his friend, Luke Yeron, 19, in connection with the murder. After an investigation, Anthony Alfaro and Yeron were charged with murder. Police believe Alfaro allegedly pulled the trigger.
Sandra Alfaro and a family friend, Mikey Marquez, have been charged with accessory after the fact. Sources close to the case say Sandra Alfaro initially lied to police when asked who fired the deadly shot at Becerrada, while Marquez allegedly drove them away from the crime scene, prosecutors said.
Becerrada had spent nearly 11 years behind bars before he was killed. In 1986, he was sentenced to five years in prison for attempted robbery. He served two years and was released on probation.
Then, in 1992, Becerrada served seven months for second-degree burglary. Three months after being released, he was arrested for possessing a firearm and spent a year in prison. Most recently, he served seven years for drug possession and was released on Dec. 2.
Yuron’s attorney, Robin Yanes, said Becerrada was a known gang member with ties to a gang called the “Venice 13.”
Defense attorneys asked that the trial date not be set until another hearing scheduled for Sept. 29 was held. They have requested evidence on Becerrada’s criminal background.
The shooting prompted residents of the low-income housing project at Ashland Avenue and Lincoln Boulevard to call a community meeting soon after the crime. Officials from the Community Corp. of Santa Monica, a non-profit that oversees 78 buildings and 2,400 tenants, told residents they would act immediately on a handful of security concerns. But, they said, new cameras and better lighting wouldn’t have prevented the shooting.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on August 31, 2004. Read the original PDF.