Two people who robbed and killed a man outside the Burlington Coat Factory parking lot in La Mesa were sentenced Sept. 10 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The gunman, Derrick Eli Henderson, 32, received a consecutive term of 25 years to life for personally using a gun in the slaying of Travis Michael Lewis, 30, who was shot to death July 20, 2017 around 6:47 p.m.
Kathryn Luwana Williams, 26, received an additional 1-year term for possession of a firearm by El Cajon Superior Court Judge Lantz Lewis, who is not related to the victim.
Deputy District Attorney Kristian Trocha asked for the consecutive sentences after the judge heard from Lewis’ mother and the mother of his child.
A jury convicted Henderson and Williams of first-degree murder on July 1 and with the special circumstance of murder during a robbery.
Lewis also ordered Henderson and Williams to pay approximately $20,000 for funeral and burial costs. They each received credit for 778 days in jail.
Texas man convicted of Grossmont College student kidnapping
A jury has convicted a Texas man of kidnapping a Grossmont College student during a carjacking and beating.
Brett Charbonnel, 22, lost two teeth when Skyler Jace Battreall, 20, struck him in the face with a replica handgun on Oct. 14, 2018 after Charbonnel gave Battreall a ride in Pacific Beach.
Battreall pointed the gun replica at Charbonnel and pushed him out of Hyundai Elantra before driving off with his car. A police officer began following Battreall after he drove without headlights around 9 p.m. and he crashed the car into a parked car, totaling it.
Jurors deliberated about two hours before convicting Battreall on Sept. 3 and also of assault with a deadly weapon.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Sharon Majors-Lewis sent sentencing for Oct. 24. Deputy District Attorney Jim Koerber said Battreall faces life in prison and he remains in jail.
Battreall admitted to striking the student with the gun replica but denied that he kidnapped him. Battreall had just arrived in San Diego that day by bus.
His attorney, Chris Montoya, said Battreall was under the influence of drugs at the time.
Man released after testifying
A Spring Valley man who testified against two other men in a double murder trial was released from jail Sept. 15 after being sentenced to four years and four months in jail.
Alaeante Eason, 29, had been in jail for three years and earlier pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the May 5, 2013 death of Xusha Brown, Jr., 22, who was shot while as a passenger in a car in La Mesa.
On July 24, a jury convicted Anthony Constantin Frank, 28, of El Cajon, and Donte Jerome Haddock, 28, of Eastlake, of first-degree murder of Brown and Darris Walker, 20, a Grossmont College student on April 30, 2011.
Both Frank and Haddock are expected to get two terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole at their sentencing on Oct. 11. Both remain in jail.
They were also convicted of special circumstances of murder by lying in wait, committing multiple murders, and by discharging a weapon from a motor vehicle. Jurors also found they committed the crimes to benefit a criminal street gang.
The attorneys for Frank and Haddock criticized a plea arrangement that Eason received in which a murder charge was dismissed after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and testified against the others.
Deputy District Attorney Sophia Roach asked for the 4-year, four month term for Eason before San Diego Superior Court Judge Michael Smyth.
