A jury convicted a Spring Valley man Feb. 24 of attempted murder of a man who was stabbed multiple times over a business matter.
The same jury convicted Brandon Ancho, 37, of felony assault of the same victim, Julian Cruz, and burglary in which Ancho walked into Cruz’s home Feb. 1, 2014, in the 300 block of East James Street in Chula Vista.
A jury convicted a Spring Valley man Feb. 24 of attempted murder of a man who was stabbed multiple times over a business matter.
The same jury convicted Brandon Ancho, 37, of felony assault of the same victim, Julian Cruz, and burglary in which Ancho walked into Cruz’s home Feb. 1, 2014, in the 300 block of East James Street in Chula Vista.
Jurors deadlocked 6-6 over whether he tried to murder Wilhelmina Cruz, the victim’s wife, in the same incident. She wasn’t injured. They also deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction for felony assault upon the wife, said Deputy District Attorney Matthew Williams.
Ancho faces a maximum sentence of 29 years and eight months in prison when sentenced on March 24 by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Edward Allard III, said Williams.
The prosecutor said Ancho has a prior conviction for battery with substantial bodily harm that increases the sentence. He said the attempted murder sentence can be doubled with three years extra imposed for the victim suffering great bodily injury.
Ancho’s mother was the business partner of the victim in an adult daycare type of business and Ancho confronted Julian Cruz at knifepoint over his belief that his family was not receiving enough money. Ancho worked for Julian Cruz and called the victims “auntie and uncle,” though they are not related, said Williams.
The jury deliberated 1.5 days before saying they were deadlocked on the counts involving Wilhelmina Cruz and a mistrial was declared on those charges. Ancho fled the scene and was arrested two days later in Spring Valley near his parents’ home. He remains in jail.
Mother takes daughter to police department in dog theft case
El Cajon Police delivered a stolen puppy that was worth $1,000 to his owner Feb. 28 after a neighbor’s surveillance camera captured images of a teen-age girl taking the dog from its home the day before.
KGTV (Channel 10) aired the footage and a mother recognized her teen-ager daughter on tape and took her daughter and the dog to El Cajon Police. Because the white Labrador was valued at more than $950, the daughter was arrested for grand theft dog, a felony offense, and released to her mother’s custody.
The girl initially told her mother she had found the dog on her way home from school. The owner, Jeff Norton, had notified El Cajon Police of the theft. Police said a second suspect is also believed to be a juvenile. Both expected to be prosecuted in Juvenile Court.
El Cajon man sentenced for DUI and committing great bodily injury
Luis Carlos Sanchez, 24, of El Cajon, was sentenced Feb. 23 to four years and four months in prison after pleading guilty to driving drunk and committing great bodily injury to Victor Maristela, of Jamul, in 2013.
Sanchez had been free on $25,000 bond, but was remanded into jail immediately after El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein denied probation. Deputy District Attorney Elizabeth Renner said Sanchez already had a misdemeanor conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol in 2011.
The head-on collision took place Dec. 17, 2013 on state Route 94 when Sanchez was driving a 2002 Ford Ranger at 7:52 p.m. when his pickup crossed into the west lane and struck Maristela’s vehicle.
Court records state Sanchez was driving at .19-blood/alcohol level, which is twice the legal limit. Maristela suffered five broken ribs, fractures to his pelvis, left and right femur, and a broken right wrist. A restitution hearing was set for March 23 when Goldstein will determine whether Sanchez has to pay for major medical expenses for the victim.
