Woman convicted in Campo Indian Reservation murder

A woman who was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of a woman on the Campo Indian Reservation was sentenced July 27 to 26 years to life in state prison.

The mother and daughter of Christalina Leona Indish, 35, told El Cajon Superior Court Judge Lantz Lewis how the slaying had affected their family.

Cindy Marie Ceballos, 31, was given 25 years to life for the murder plus one year consecutively for using a knife in a homicide.

A woman who was convicted of first-degree murder in the slaying of a woman on the Campo Indian Reservation was sentenced July 27 to 26 years to life in state prison.

The mother and daughter of Christalina Leona Indish, 35, told El Cajon Superior Court Judge Lantz Lewis how the slaying had affected their family.

Cindy Marie Ceballos, 31, was given 25 years to life for the murder plus one year consecutively for using a knife in a homicide.

Indish was fatally stabbed in her own residence on Tusil Road on the Campo Indian Reservation on Feb. 27, 2016 after Darrell Norman Wohlford, 39, manipulated Ceballos, his girlfriend, into fighting with Indish.

Wohlford pleaded guilty to armed residence burglary of the victim’s house and was sentenced April 18 to 17 years in prison.

Lewis fined Ceballos $10,224 and ordered her to pay $4,672 to the crime victim’s compensation fund. She received credits for 517 days previously spent in jail.

Lewis said he could not grant probation to Ceballos due to her danger to the community. She was dressed in a green jail uniform.

“I hope when your sentence is up…you clean your act up,” said Elizabeth Indish, the victim’s mother, to Ceballos.

“From the bottom of my heart, I forgive you,” said Elizabeth Indish before breaking down in tears.

“You not only hurt us but you hurt your family as well,” said Devida Indish, the victim’s daughter. “I hope you find God.”

A seven woman, five-man jury convicted Ceballos of first-degree murder on May 25 after only two hours of deliberations in a 1-week trial.

Her attorney, Wil Sharp, said Ceballos suffered from “a mental disease” as a result of using methamphetamine.

Sharp said there were extenuating circumstances in the slaying. He asked the judge to only impose 25 years. Ceballos said nothing in court and Sharp said she would appeal her conviction.

“She’s very remorseful for what happened,” said Sharp.

Watkins said Ceballos stabbed Indish five times in the chest including once in the heart and twice in the neck. He said she displayed no remorse and went to someone’s home afterwards to change clothes, shower, and smoke marijuana.

Sharp argued at trial that Wohlford was responsible because “he set these events in motion and it ended tragically.”

Sharp said Wohlford, who is nicknamed Grasshopper, provoked both women and “puts together fights between women.”

Ceballo’s niece, Natalie Ceballos, 35, and Casandra Alto, 26, testified in the trial as part of the plea agreement with the DA’s office. They pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact on Feb. 24.

Both Natalie Ceballos and Alto were sentenced to two years in jail and they were released from jail May 25 because their jail credits exceeded their sentence.

Wohlford will have to serve 85% of his 17-year sentence and he was fined $10,000.

Spring Valley man pleads guilty to his and run

Andrew Wesam Thousen, 18, of Spring Valley, has pleaded guilty to hit and run resulting in the death of James Sonny Martinez, 75, who was killed Feb. 7 while crossing Sweetwater Road.

El Cajon Superior Court Judge Daniel Goldstein set sentencing for August 22. Thousen remains free on $75,000 bond.

Deputy District Attorney Kristina Gil said the maximum sentence is four years in state prison, but Thousen could be placed on probation with some local jail time.

The collision occurred at 10 p.m. in Spring Valley. The California Highway Patrol recovered the Mercedes, which had heavy windshield damage on the right side. 

Thousen returned to the scene an hour later with his father and he surrendered. Martinez was a grandfather.