SANTA ANA, Calif. -- A judge followed a jury's recommendation and imposed the death penalty Friday on a Canyon Country gang member who recruited lower- level gang associates to kill a Rancho Dominguez businessman at the behest of the victim's sister.
Anthony Navarro, 40, was convicted Oct. 18 of first-degree murder, conspiracy and street terrorism, along with the special circumstance allegations of murder in the commission of a robbery, a kidnapping and in furtherance of street gang activity.
David Montemayor, 44, was kidnapped from his family-run business by three men on Oct. 2, 2002. The men drove Montemayor toward his home in
Buena Park, where they believed he kept thousands of dollars in cash, but he escaped from the car about a mile from the house and ran from the vehicle, prosecutors said.
Two of the abductors fired at him, shooting Montemayor in the head, prosecutors said. All three kidnappers fled the scene, and led police on a televised chase during rush hour.
Montemayor's sister,
Deborah Perna, solicited his slaying because she believed the Buena Park man was stealing from the family's business, and out of jealousy after learning that her father intended to pass control of the business to him.
Perna, 50, of Anaheim, asked co-worker Edelmira Corona, 30, of Pico Rivera, to arrange the killing by asking her friend, Navarro, to carry it out, according to the Orange County District Attorney's Office.
Prosecutors said Navarro recruited
Gerardo Lopez, 22, of Pacoima, Armando Macias, 31, of Lancaster, and Alberto Martinez, 29, of Castaic, all lower-level members of a Pacoima-based gang, to carry out the hit.
Lopez was convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole, and the other two are awaiting trial, scheduled to begin next March.
Perna was convicted Oct. 28, 2005, of murder, along with the special circumstance allegations of murder during an attempted robbery and kidnapping.
She was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole on Feb. 16, 2006.
Corona pleaded guilty to manslaughter and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12. She faces up to 22 years in prison.
Macias and Martinez face trial on Jan. 26.
