A second man has been charged with killing Brandon Deguzman in El Cajon in Sept. 2016, over a drug debt.
Tristan “Cowboy” Eric Klingensmith, 20, of Lakeside, has also been charged with conspiracy with the alleged gunman, Richard James Gunner, 24, during a robbery of Deguzman, 21.
A second man has been charged with killing Brandon Deguzman in El Cajon in Sept. 2016, over a drug debt.
Tristan “Cowboy” Eric Klingensmith, 20, of Lakeside, has also been charged with conspiracy with the alleged gunman, Richard James Gunner, 24, during a robbery of Deguzman, 21.
Deguzman was found deceased and lying on a sidewalk in the 500 block of Danny Street around 6:30 a.m. on Sept. 24 near where he lived. He had been shot in the face around 5:22 a.m. with an assault rifle.
According to the charges, Klingensmith asked Gunner to collect a $30 drug debt from Deguzman and offered him a commission to collect other drug debts for him. Klingensmith is also charged with possession of methamphetamine for sale and selling the drug.
Klingensmith allegedly paid Gunner money to threaten people including Deguzman and reportedly sent Gunner text messages with specific threats. The charges say Klingensmith gave Deguzman 24 hours to pay him.
Klingensmith is also charged with 10 counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, and receiving some of Gunner’s stolen property. Gunner is also charged with burglarizing two homes in Santee in Aug. and Sept. 2016.
A preliminary hearing has been set for March 21 in El Cajon Superior Court. Both men have pleaded not guilty and remain in jail on $2 million bail.
The Fugitive Task Force near a school in Santee arrested gunner the day after the murder. Klingensmith was charged last month.
Woman to be sentenced for preparation of false tax return
Marla Lynn Cunningham will be sentenced March 10 after pleading guilty to three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of a false tax return with her tax preparation business in El Cajon.
Cunningham, 50, owned and operated Cunningham’s Tax Service for many years, but was indicted on 36 federal charges in Aug., 2015.
She used false charitable deductions, false medical and dental expenses and false education credits on tax returns, according to the U.S. Attorney’s office. These false returns caused a loss of $1.2 million, according to federal authorities.
Cunningham faces a maximum term of three years in federal prison on each charge. She is expected to be ordered to pay restitution when she is sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Gonzalo Curiel.
She had been free on a property bond, but was remanded into custody on Aug. 4, 2016, after her bond was revoked.
Registered sex offender pleads guilty in stalking young girl
A registered sex offender has pleaded guilty to several charges after following a 10-year-old girl into an El Cajon store bathroom.
Robert Louis Becker, 22, has agreed to accept a prison term of three years and eight months, said Deputy District Attorney Chantal de Mauregne.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein set sentencing for March 16. Becker remains in jail on $500,000 bail.
Becker pleaded guilty to contact with a minor with intent to commit a sexual offense and to burglary of a Walmart store in unincorporated El Cajon. A misdemeanor count of child molestation was dismissed.
The girl told sheriff’s deputies a man followed her inside the women’s restroom on Aug. 17, 2016. She said the man got into a stall next to her and put a cell phone camera on the floor while making lewd comments.
The man quickly left after that and the girl was discovered crying by an employee. Deputies arrested him Aug. 22 at his Alpine home after he was identified via the store’s surveillance camera. Becker pleaded guilty without having the girl testify at a preliminary hearing.
