Victim Stories

On April 24, 2013, brothers Anthony and Michael Carpio attacked 18-year old Kevin Orellana who was at the handball courts on the campus of Cleveland High School in Reseda.  Michael started the fight, but Anthony pulled a knife and stabbed Orellana 10 times in the head, neck, and left and right torso.  Anthony Carpio, who […]

April 3, 2010, Sina Khankhanian drove his car for 17 miles at speeds up to 70 mph on Pacific Coast Highway before he hit and killed 13-year old Emily Shane who was walking to meet her father after a sleepover at a friend’s home.  The defendant said he aimed for her, and she “deserved to

On November 17, 2018, when he was one month shy of his 18th birthday, Donato Cruikshank executed his 16-year old girlfriend Sierra.  He then shot her 27 year old sister Uniek with an illegally obtained firearm.  He took the victims’ cellphones to make sure he would not be connected to the crime and then started a

On February 11, 1996, 79-year old Elmer was in a wheelchair when Samuel Zamudio stabbed him 6 times.  His wife, Gladys, who was 74 years old was stabbed 13 times during the home invasion robbery.  A jury convicted the defendant of two counts of murder, multiple murder Special Circumstance and robbery and sentenced him to

On February 19, 2018, 61-year-old former Marine John Ruh was shot three times during an attempted robbery as he finished his shift at VP Fuels and Drive-thru Dairy in the Antelope Valley.  Gang members Denmonne Lee, who was 16 at the time, distracted Mr. Ruh, and Deonata Johnson shot him.  Video footage caught Denmonne Lee

On July 2, 2021, the body of 53-year-old mother and grandmother Fatima Johnson was found bound and gagged in her South Los Angeles home. Her boyfriend, Darryl Collins, is charged with her murder. The defendant has two prior murder convictions from a string of armed robberies and has been to prison twice. The law allows

On December 11, 2017, defendant Raymond Gonzalez executed Bobby Ryan and Jacob Dominguez by shooting each of them in the head.  The defendant killed them so he could take $3,000 from Bobby Ryan.  Shortly after shooting the two men to death, defendant walked to a nearby home and carjacked a woman and used her minivan

On October 3, 1993, Sergio Nelson shot Robin Shirley and Lee Thompson because he was angry that Ms. Shirley got a promotion he thought he deserved.  The defendant walked up to the car they were in and shot several times into an open rear window.  He then put the barrel up to Robin’s head and

On May 29, 1979, defendant Jesse Gonzalez shot and killed Deputy Sheriff Jack Williams and shot at Deputy Bobby Esquivel as they were serving a search warrant in La Puente.  A jury convicted the defendant of murdering Deputy Williams with Special Circumstances and attempted murder of Deputy Esquivel, both with use of a gun.  The

Defendant Efrem Demery was friends with Michael Pollard and DeVaughn Carter who were both studio musicians.  On April 14, 2018, the defendant had an altercation with the Michael and Devaughn.  The defendant followed them back to the studio, and went across the street to purchase gasoline and a lighter.  He returned to the studio went inside, and poured