State Supreme Court won't review conviction in armored car messenger's killing

LOS ANGELES - The California Supreme Court declined today to review the case against a man convicted of the ambush murder of an armored car messenger at a warehouse store in Vernon more than a decade ago.

Ramon Cervantes Chavez was convicted, along with his older brother, in the Jan. 14, 1999, killing of Eleazar Jaramillo Sr. at the Jetro Cash & Carry store.

In February, a three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the younger sibling's claim that there was insubstantial evidence to support his December 2009 conviction.

The appellate justices also rejected the defense's contention that jurors should not have heard about an Aug. 13, 2000, shootout between Chavez and an armored car guard outside a Costco store in Van Nuys.

When he was charged with Jaramillo's slaying, Chavez was already serving life in prison without the possibility of parole for his guilty plea to first-degree murder in November 2001 for the shooting death of Owen Wolf, who was struck by stray gunfire outside the Costco store.

In a 27-page ruling released on Feb. 14, Associate Justice Laurie D. Zelon wrote that "both shootings involved the robbery of an armored truck security guard at a warehouse grocery store during daylight hours when customers were present."

Zelon noted that Chavez's identity as the Jetro shooter was "amply supported by the testimony of witnesses to the Costco shooting, who independently recounted similar crimes committed by appellant."

Chavez

was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 25 years for Jaramillo's shooting, along with the life term he was already serving for Wolf's slaying.

The 2nd District Court of Appeals has not yet considered an appeal from his brother, who was convicted separately of Jaramillo's killing and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Along with the armored car courier's slaying, Ignacio Chavez was convicted of the May 2000 shooting death of Olivia De la Torre, who was shot to death on May 15, 2000, as she and her husband arrived outside their business, La Guadalupana.

Ignacio Chavez was already serving life in prison without the possibility of parole in Wolf's killing.

Erica Leerhsen Sarah Wynter Rachel Perry Samaire Armstrong Daniella Alonso