2 gang members convicted of teens' double murder in Montecito Heights a decade later
2 gang members convicted of teens' double murder
Two men, Jose Antonio Echeverria and Dallas Stone Pineda, have been found guilty of the 2015 murders of two teenage girls in Montecito Heights.
LOS ANGELES - Two men have been found guilty of the murders of two teenage girls in Montecito Heights ten years ago, the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, Sept. 30.
What we know:
On October 27, 2015, Jose Antonio Echeverria, also known as Klepto, and Dallas Stone Pineda, also known as Trippy, lured 17-year-old Brianna Gallegos and 19-year-old Gabriella Calzada to a secluded area of Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in Montecito Heights.
Officials said the two men then shot and beat the teenage girls to death with a large rock. The victims' bodies were found the next day near a hiking trail in the park.
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Both Echeverria, 28, and Pineda, 27, were convicted of two counts of first-degree murder with special circumstance allegations, including lying in wait and that the killings involved multiple victims.
Arrest unconfirmed in killing of 2 Montecito teens
The LAPD now says it cannot confirm that an arrest has been made in the killings of Gabriela Calzada, 19, and Briana Gallegos, 17, whose bodies were found in Ernest E. Debs Regional Park in Montecito Heights on Oct. 28.
What they're saying:
Los Angeles County District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman commented on the verdict, stating, "These brutal killings cut short the lives of two teenagers and left their families devastated. This verdict delivers justice for the victims, and I want to thank our Gang Homicide Division in particular, Deputy District Attorneys David Ayvazian and Stephen Lonseth for their tireless work in pursuing this case."
What's next:
Echeverria and Pineda are scheduled to be sentenced on December 11.
Both men face life in prison without the possibility of parole.
The Source: This information is sourced directly from the Los Angeles County District Attorney's office, which provided details on the verdict and the background of the case. The statement from District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman and the information on the sentencing and prosecution were obtained from this official source.