El Cajon man sentenced 50 years to life for first-degree murder

An El Cajon man who shot his wife to death on New Year’s morning 2016 was sentenced May 17 to 50 years to life in state prison.

Many family members of Mary Newbold Faanunu, 34, talked about her life during the sentencing of her husband, Hauati Faanunu, 42, by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Lamborn.

An El Cajon man who shot his wife to death on New Year’s morning 2016 was sentenced May 17 to 50 years to life in state prison.

Many family members of Mary Newbold Faanunu, 34, talked about her life during the sentencing of her husband, Hauati Faanunu, 42, by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Lamborn.

The couple had six children who are now being raised by relatives. One of the children, 8 years old, witnessed the 12:34 a.m. shooting in the 8200 block of Melrose Lane in El Cajon.

Lamborn ordered Faanunu to pay $15,447 to the crime victims’ compensation fund for her funeral and burial expenses.

A jury convicted Faanunu in April of first-degree murder and found he personally used a firearm in the slaying. He was also convicted of six counts of misdemeanor child endangerment.

Lamborn imposed 25 years to life for the murder plus another 25-year term consecutively for the gun use which was urged by Deputy District Attorney Jessica Paugh.

Sheriff’s deputies from the Lakeside station responded to Faanunu’s call and found the woman’s body, but he was not there. He later turned himself in to El Cajon Police. He received credit for serving 17 months in jail.

Trial begins in stabbing death on the Campo Indian Reservation

The mother of a murdered Boulevard woman identified a woman May 17 who stabbed her daughter to death on the Campo Indian Reservation.

The trial of Cindy Ceballos, 31, began last week before a jury in El Cajon Superior Court concerning the Feb. 27, 2016, death of Christalina Leona Indish, 35.

Elizabeth Indish was tearful at times as she recounted how Ceballos stabbed her daughter four times in the torso and stomach. Both her daughter and Ceballos had dated Darrell Norman Wohlford, 39, who was also at the scene.

Wohlford was sentenced April 18 to 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to armed residential burglary of Christaline Indish’s home where she died. A murder charge was dismissed against him.

Witnesses testified that Wohlford, whose nickname was “Grasshopper” liked to set up “girl fights” between women. In this case, Wohlford sent text messages about the upcoming clash between Ceballos and Christalina Indish.

Someone grabbed a shotgun and fired one shot, but it didn’t hit anyone. Wohlford was hit in the face with the gun.

“Somebody’s going to die today,” said Wohlford, according to the victim’s mother.

Despite that statement, though, Wohlford yelled “Cindy, put that knife away. You’re going to hurt somebody,” according to Elizabeth Indish.

Indish told the seven woman, five man jury that someone asked Wohlford “why did you bring all these people over?” to the victim’s home. Wohlford formerly lived there.

Elizabeth Indish said she was trying to stop Casandra Alto, 26, from pulling her daughter’s hair and arms while on the kitchen floor. Alto and Natalie Ceballos, 35, have both pleaded guilty to being an accessory to murder and await sentencing on May 30.

The trial continues this week before Judge Lantz Lewis. Cindy Ceballos has pleaded not guilty. Cindy and Natalie Ceballos and Alto remain in jail.