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felony Personal Injury Wrongful Death

Brutal Beauty Salon Killing Finally Has a Ruling

Man Charged With 8 Felonies for Beauty Salon Murders

During a court appearance on Friday, the man who is accused of killing eight people made a plea to the court. The man is responsible for the mass shooting at a Seal Beach Beauty Salon.

The man responsible for the killing of those eight people is Scott Dekraai. He is charged with eight felony counts of “special circumstance first degree murder” for his connection to the October 2011 Salon shootings. This was the deadliest shooting rampage in Orange County.

Scott was wearing a bulletproof vest at the time of the shooting. He was armed with three different firearms. That is when he walked into the salon then began shooting.

Orange County District Attorney’s statement

For almost two minutes, Dekraai shot victim after victim, executing eight people by shooting them in the head and chest.

According to the prosecutors, Scott was seeking revenge against Michelle Fournier who is his ex-wife. She was 48 years old and an employee at the salon. Apparently they were in the middle of a custody dispute over their eight year old son.

The Beauty Salon’s Victim List

Fournier, 54-year-old salon employee Victoria Buzzo, 46–year-old salon employee Laura Elody, 62-year-old salon owner Randy Fannin, 47-year-old salon employee Michele Fast, 65-year-old salon client Lucia Kondas, 47-year-old salon employee Christy Lynn Wilson and 64-year-old David Caouette.

During the hearing, Scott pleaded guilty to all charges because he felt like it was the “right thing to do”.  Scott is now facing the death penalty. Even though he pleaded guilty Scott was not offered anything for pleading guilty.

Scott Sanders, Public Defender’s statement

He wanted the victims to know that he will not be challenging at any point, now or in the future, him being in custody for the rest of his life.

Source:https://ktla.com/2014/05/02/accused-seal-beach-salon-shooter-expected-to-plead-guilty/#axzz30XErVFAb

Categories
Personal Injury Wrongful Death

Marital Murder-Suicide in Phoenix

Marital Murder-Suicide Leaves Kids in CPS Care

Marital disputes are hard on everyone, but when you have kids they are who suffer most. On Sunday a man and woman both ended up dead from a murder-suicide.

The Phoenix Police say that they received a 911 call around 11:30 on Sunday night. The call came from the suspect. He told the authorities that he shot and killed his wife at their apartment. This was near 79th and McDowell Road.

The suspect told the authorities that the door to their apartment was ope and there were three children sleeping inside the apartment. When the Phoenix Police came to the scene they found the 33 year old woman and she was suffering from a gun shot wound.

The spokesman for the Phoenix police, James Holmes said that the fire crew pronounced the woman dead.

Children found at the Murder-Suicide Scene

The three children that were inside the apartment were ages: 1,3, and 12. They were still asleep when the authorities arrived and unharmed during the incident.

The husband of the victim, a thirty-two year old man in this case, was found near his vehicle which was at 15th Avenue and Indian School Road.

Holmes said that the man (suspect) had died due to an self-inflicted gunshot wound.  The three children are now in the care of Arizona Child Protective Services.

Source: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-phoenix-metro/west-phoenix/2-dead-in-potential-homicide-suicide-in-phoenix-police-say

Categories
felony Wrongful Death

16 Year Old Stabbed on Prom Day

Prom Day Turns Fatal for 16 Year old Girl

Prom is the best night of a lot of teens lives, however for one 16 year old girl her prom day wasn’t quite as enjoyable as most. The girl was stabbed at her high school the same day as her junior prom. She died due to wounds to her neck and torso.

The Connecticut medical examiner ruled that Maren Sanchez’s death was indeed a homicide.

Her 16 year old male classmate was charged with murder as a juvenile. The brutal attack happened on Friday morning which was just a few hours before the school’s prom night. The police are investigating whether her death was due to her turning down the boy’s invitation to prom.

Police have not released the boy’s name since he is a minor. However some witnesses that saw the boy taken into custody said that his name is Chris Plaskon. Chris was described as “genial and respectful” it is also stated that he was a friend of the victim.

The boy’s attorney, Richard Meehan stated that his client is being held under psychiatric evaluation. The boy will not appear at the arraignment. Meehan thinks that his client will eventually be charged as an adult.

Meehan’s statement about the stabbing

His family is devastated not only for him, but the youngster who was killed. It’s a terrible situation all the way around.

According to a teacher at the school, the suspect has 4 brother and has a great sense of humor. His family is also involved in the community.

The Teacher’s statement about the boy who stabbed the girl

There’s no reason to suspect he would have done this. I think that’s what makes it harder.

Chris is an overall good student:

Sanchez, a member of the National Honor Society who was active in drama and other school activities, had been focused on prom in the days before her death. She had posted a photograph on Facebook of her blue prom dress and was looking forward to attending with a new boyfriend.

 

The school is staying closed on Monday to show respect. There is a memorial service that was scheduled on Monday at the school’s football field. They Junior class is hoping to raise funds to have a memorial bench placed in the young girl’s honor.

source: https://www.abc15.com/news/national/autopsy-student-died-of-stab-wounds-to-neck-body

Categories
Wrongful Death

Man Arrested in Phoenix for Murder in Bar Brawl

Murder Suspect Arrested for The Murder of off-duty Security Guard

Things can get pretty rough when people get drunk and start feeling a little cocky, things got out of hand one night in Phoenix and it ended with an off-duty security guard losing his life. Phoenix police officers have the man who they think is responsible for killing the off-duty security guard in custody. They think the man’s brother was also involved in the murder bar brawl that happened in march.

The main suspect, Alex Ray Flores who is twenty-one years old was booked on charges of : “First-degree murder, burglary, endangerment and misconduct involving weapons”.

According to the police statement, Alex was drinking at a bar with his twenty-two year old brother, Max Flores. This was on March 14 near 32nd and Oak streets. The bar closed at two in the morning and afterwards Max and Alex had tried to leave the bar with their beer bottles in hand, which you can’t do.

A local security guard, Jesus Rafael Lozano-Vidal, was at the bar enjoying his time off-duty. This is when he saw the men leaving with the beer, he tried to stop the brother then that is when both brothers attacked him. Jesus was shot, taken to the hospital and later died.

According to the Phoenix Police, they believed that Alex was the shooter in this crime. During the brawl, Alex even shot his own brother, Max in the arm.  Alex and Max both fled the scene on foot.

However in this bar brawl case

both brothers are in custody on allegations related to the Lozano-Vidal murder.

Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2014/04/18/phoenix-police-make-arrest-bar-shooting-death-abrk/7882555/

Categories
Personal Injury Wrongful Death

16 Years for A Man Who Brutally Stabbed His Girlfriend to Death

Man Stabs and Beat His Girlfriend to Death Gets Sentencing

Last year a man from Tempe allegedly stabbed and beat his girlfriend to death. He then dumped her body onto a residential street. His sentencing was on Friday in which he got 16 years in prison.

Twenty-six year old Douglas Ray George pleaded guilty to the second degree murder back in February in 2014. The woman was twenty-three year old, Annovedwin Begay-Barakzai.

The court documents stated that the prosecution said that George had repeatedly and then Annovedwin in the apartment that they shared on June 15, 2013.

The court records showed that the police said that her stab wounds were superficial however the beating she received had fractured her ribs and lacerated her liver.  Then, her naked body was dumped in the middle of the street.

According to the records, there were eight people at the trial. Four of them were there for Annovedwin. George’s family seemed unfazed and Annovedwin’s family were very respectful and sad. 

According to the report, George had sat in the court room and stared blankly at Annovedwin’s family when it was their turn to talk, however at one point he gave a slight grin during one of their testimonies. Most of the trial his eyes were closed.

Annovedwin’s Aunt, Yvonne’s statement about Annovedwin

There’s not one day that goes by when I don’t think about her.

Wendy Begay’s statement about her sister

The day she left home, I can remember it clearly I told the defendant to take care of my sister and he said, ‘I will.’ That was the last time I saw her.

Only one of George’s family members spoke in his defense. Stephanie Low, The Prosecutor in the trial, stated that George’s actions were “horrible,cruel, and demeaning.”

George’s statement about his crime

What they are going through now I can’t even fathom. I want to offer my condolences.

Source: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/tempe/2014/04/18/tempe-man-gets-years-girlfriends-slaying/7889179/

 

Categories
Personal Injury Wrongful Death

Woman Convicted for Stabbing Her Boyfriend to Death with Stiletto

Woman Fatally Stabs Boyfriend with Stiletto Heel

A woman was convicted of murder on Tuesday. She stabbed her boyfriend to death with the 5 1/2 inch heel of her stiletto shoes. According to the report she had to hit him at least twenty five times in his face.

The prosecutors state that Ana Trujillo had used her stiletto to kill fifty-nine year old Alf Andersson during an argument they were having in June. Ana’s attorney tried to claim that the forty-five year old woman was only defending herself during an attack from Alf.

Ana is up to a life in prison. She showed very little emotion when the verdict was read. At the time, she was out of jail on bond, then after the verdict was announced she was taken into custody. On Wednesday, the jury will start hearing the evidence in the trial’s “punishment phase”.

Her lawyer says that he is hoping they will be merciful in her punishment, and they are asking for a two year prison sentence.

The prosecutors told the jurors that after a night of drinking Ana and Alf had began to argue, then during the argument Alf was injured and then fell on his back. Ana then sat on Alf so he couldn’t get up…that is when she hit him in the face and his head with her stiletto shoe.

Prosecutor, John Jordan’s closing argument in the Stiletto Murder Case

This is not self-defense. This is a vicious murder.

According to Jordan’s argument, Ana has had a history of violence. She also attacked another man two week prior to Alf’s death. Two witnesses were there to testify to this.  A lover of Ana’s was her other victim. According to James Well (the lover) the attack on himself was an unprovoked attack. Ana had bitten him on his head and pulled the skin form his skull, she then proceeded to tell him that he was a “dead man.”  Another witness (Chanda Ellison, his lover) said she witnessed Ana’s attack and had to beat her off of James with a stick.

The prosecutor’s made note that Ana did not have any injuries on herself, and Alf had defensive wounds on his hands and wrists.

Carroll’s closing argument

What would you do if there was the threat of serious bodily injury … if the threat of death is there? You defend yourself.

Read more: Jury convicts woman in stiletto shoe killing – FOX 10 News | myfoxphoenix.com https://www.myfoxphoenix.com/story/25197171/2014/04/08/jury-convicts-woman-in-stiletto-shoe-killing#ixzz2yYAyf97x