EGN NEWS DESK
A Riverside jury in February deliberated two days earlier than convicting Alexander Isaiah Aquino, 22, of killing Abdallah Abushawish of San Jacinto in 2020.
Along with homicide, jurors discovered true a special-circumstance allegation of perpetrating a killing throughout a theft, in addition to convicted Aquino of armed theft, assault leading to nice bodily damage, presenting false identification to a peace officer and sentence-enhancing gun and nice bodily damage allegations.
During a listening to on the Riverside Hall of Justice on Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Valerie Navarro imposed the sentence required by regulation.
Aquino’s co-defendants, Isaiah Ralph Lugo, 27, and Charles Richard Trevino, 28, pleaded responsible in November 2021 to felony fees underneath separate plea offers with the District Attorney’s Office. Lugo admitted carrying a firearm whereas perpetrating a gang crime, and Trevino admitted an armed theft allegation. Both males had been sentenced to state jail — Lugo to seven years, and Trevino to 12 years.
According to a trial temporary filed by the prosecution, the trio went to the Nuevo Meat Market at 29618 Nuevo Road on the morning of Aug. 19, 2020, to purchase carne asada for a barbecue.
The defendants had been carrying little money and as an alternative had been attempting to buy all the things with a state-provided digital advantages switch, or EBT, debit card, prosecutors mentioned.
While Lugo sat in his 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, Trevino and Aquino went to purchase the meat. After they picked out the carne asada and Abushawish quoted the worth, they grew to become quarrelsome.
“The topics argued concerning the excessive worth of the meat, however Abushawish informed them it was a better high quality meat (and due to this fact dearer),” based on the temporary.
It mentioned that after he packaged the product for them and positioned it on the counter, Aquino pulled a 9mm handgun and opened hearth, pumping six rounds into the sufferer. He died lower than an hour later at Riverside University Medical Center in Moreno Valley.
The defendants then fled within the Malibu. Lugo was instantly remorseful, later telling sheriff’s detectives that “Mr. Abushawish didn’t should be killed.”
Lugo and Trevino dropped Aquino at a fellow Perris Maravilla gang member’s home after which headed into Perris.
Witnesses’ description of the Malibu had been broadcast, and two hours later, patrol deputies noticed it on the intersection of Creekwood Court and Mildred Street, the place the 2 males had been stopped and brought into custody with out incident.
A 12 months later, Aquino was at Harb Market within the 22700 block of San Jacinto Avenue in Perris, the place he encountered a person leaving with a 12-pack of beer. The defendant punched the shopper within the face and took his beer and cash, court docket papers mentioned.
That led to the defendant’s fast arrest, after which detectives related him to Abushawish’s slaying, based on the prosecution.
Court data present Aquino had a previous felony conviction in one other jurisdiction, however the offense wasn’t listed. Trevino had prior convictions for vandalism and grand theft, whereas Lugo had prior misdemeanor convictions for forgery, identification theft and housebreaking.
