After only 12 days after his arrest for gross vehicular manslaughter in the death of Kimberly Eakin in Lakeside, Joel Joseph Silva pleaded guilty Dec. 10 to all charges.
Silva, 33, also admitted to driving under the influence of a drug and will be sentenced Jan. 21 by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, said Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott.
After only 12 days after his arrest for gross vehicular manslaughter in the death of Kimberly Eakin in Lakeside, Joel Joseph Silva pleaded guilty Dec. 10 to all charges.
Silva, 33, also admitted to driving under the influence of a drug and will be sentenced Jan. 21 by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, said Deputy District Attorney Steven Schott.
Eakin, 34, of Lakeside, was a pedestrian on Woodside Ave. on the shoulder near Riverview Ave. near Lindo Lake Park on Nov. 29. She died of multiple blunt force injuries, the medical examiner said.
Silva, of Julian, has no plea agreement with the DA’s office to get a lesser sentence, said Schott. Silva remains in the George Bailey Detention Facility without bail.
Lemon Grove man pleads guilty in death of La Mesa man
Samuel Godinez, 37, of Lemon Grove, has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Christopher Gillette, 33, who was killed in a La Mesa house on May 16.
Godinez went on trial for murder, but a jury deadlocked 10-2 for acquittal on Sept. 30, according to court records. El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Lamborn declared a mistrial.
Godinez will be sentenced Jan. 12 and it is expected he will get a 6-year term in prison, records say, though the maximum sentence is 11 years. Lamborn dismissed a murder charge.
A witness testified that Godinez was visiting acquaintances and using methamphetamine at a house in the 8200 block of El Paso Street. Gillette was staying there and tried to wake up an acquaintance around 5:15 a.m.
Godinez tried to stop Gillette from waking up a tenant and Gillette reportedly said he had been up for several days. “I have something for that,” replied Godinez and he pulled out a gun, according to a witness.
“Why don’t you tell me and not show me?” Gillette is said to have replied, and he was then shot between the eyes.
A second shot went into a wall. A tenant called La Mesa Police at 5:24 a.m., and Godinez ran off before police arrived. Godinez remains in jail without bail.
El Cajon man ordered to stand trial for murder
Donald Ray Lewis, 40, of El Cajon, was ordered Dec. 8 to stand trial for the murder of an acquaintance, James Melvin Crawford Jr., 40, who was shot twice in an El Cajon apartment complex parking lot.
According to a testimony in a preliminary hearing, Lewis and Crawford socialized on Aug. 19, but at some point Lewis produced a gun. One shot went into the ground, but the other shots struck Crawford, who was found by El Cajon Police in the parking lot.
Crawford died in a hospital. A trial date for Lewis was set for Feb. 17 by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Lamborn. Lewis pleaded not guilty and remains in jail on $3 million bail.
