A jury convicted an El Cajon man April 20 of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife and also with six counts of child endangerment involving his children.
The jury deliberated for about a day before convicting Hauati Fanunu, 42, in the Jan. 1, 2016 death of Mary Faanunu, 34, who was found dead in her home in the 8200 block of Melrose Lane in El Cajon.
A jury convicted an El Cajon man April 20 of first-degree murder in the shooting death of his wife and also with six counts of child endangerment involving his children.
The jury deliberated for about a day before convicting Hauati Fanunu, 42, in the Jan. 1, 2016 death of Mary Faanunu, 34, who was found dead in her home in the 8200 block of Melrose Lane in El Cajon.
Because the jury found Hauati Fanunu personally used a gun in a homicide, he faces 25 years for the gun offense, and it could be added to a 25 years to life sentence for murder, said Deputy District Attorney Jessica Paugh.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Lamborn set sentencing for May 17. Fanunu remains in jail without bail.
Mary Faanunu was shot in the head. Her husband called 911 at 12:30 a.m. to say he had just shot his wife. The child endangerment charges are misdemeanors and involve the children being in the residence at the time of the slaying.
The trial began April 11.
San Diego man to stand trial for murder
A judge on April 19 ordered a San Diego man to stand trial for murder of his cousin with whom he fought in a Spring Valley apartment.
A deputy medical examiner testified the cause of death of Kenyon Embry, 37, was cardiac arrest that was aggravated by the fight he had with his cousin, Andre Blue, 29, on Oct. 26, 2016.
Blue was also ordered to stand trial for attempted burglary at knifepoint in which he broke into Embry’s bedroom and fought with him after 5 a.m.
Dr. Robert Stabley testified Embry also had cocaine and methamphetamine in his system that night and those drugs did play a role in his death that occurred several days later.
Five 911 calls were made by Blue minutes before the fight in which he urged sheriff’s deputies to “take me to jail” before he could do “anything stupid.” The recordings were played to El Cajon Superior Court Judge Lantz Lewis during the preliminary hearing.
Dispatchers repeatedly asked Blue was he considering committing a crime, but he didn’t answer or hung up on them. He then dialed 911 again, telling one dispatcher “I need help!”
When deputies arrived at the Kenora Park Apartments at 3557 Kenora Drive, Blue had already fought with Embry. One deputy testified Blue appeared “very drunk” and told him he was “doing drugs, doing pills” at the time. Both were taken to different hospitals.
A neighbor testified he heard Blue yell “I want to kill you” during the incident. Deputy District Attorney David Williams III argued successfully that Blue be held to answer for murder and attempted burglary.
Embry’s girlfriend, Angelica Santiago, testified she help break up the fight and pushed Blue out the bedroom door.
Blue has pleaded not guilty and will get a trial date set on May 3. He remains in jail on $1 million bail.
Man sentenced for stabbing death of girlfriend on Campo Indian Reservation
Darryl Norman Wohlford, 39, was sentenced April 18 to 17 years in prison for his role in the stabbing death of his former girlfriend, Christalina Indish, on the Campo Indian Reservation.
Wohlford pleaded guilty to armed residential burglary of Indish’s home where she was slain allegedly by Wohlford’s current girlfriend, Cindy Ceballos, 30, who is set to stand trial for murder on May 16. She has pleaded not guilty.
Wohlford, of Boulevard, had a prior felony offense for firing into an occupied vehicle which caused his 6-year term sentence to be doubled. Another five years was added by Judge Lantz Lewis for the prior offense after a murder charge was dropped.
The incident took place Feb. 27, 2016, at Indish’s residence in the 30000 block of Tusil Road. The victim’s mother, Elizabeth Indish, asked Wohlford why did he cause her daughter’s death.
The victim’s brother, Sonny Fitzgerald, told Wohlford “she died in my arms. She loved you.”
Wohlford responded by saying “there were no words” to explain, and that he hoped the families affected “would not have more hate as it brings more hate.”
He was fined $10,000, and given credit for nearly 14 months in jail. He had asked for immediate sentencing right after his guilty plea.
