Thread: DL PickAx Murder Trial

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http://www.ocregister.com/articles/aval ... orney-park

Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Hearing Thursday for day laborer accused in pickax killing

Man is charged with beating boss with pickax or shovel early last year at backyard job site in Irvine's Turtle Ridge neighborhood.
By CAMERON BIRD
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
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IRVINE - A 25-year-old day laborer accused of batting his boss to death with a shovel or a pickax at a jobsite is scheduled for a preliminary hearing Thursday morning at Harbor Justice Center in Newport Beach.
Ernesto Hernandez Avalos pled not guilty at his arraignment. He has been held at Orange County Central Men's Jail since January 2007 without bail. If convicted, he faces 16 years to life in prison.
Authorities say they found Avalos bloodied in the backyard of a new home in Irvine's Turtle Ridge neighborhood in January 2007 while the body of Rancho Santa Margarita resident Woo Sung Park lay nearby.
When officers closed in, Avalos tried to attack them with a shovel, according to the Orange County District Attorney's office. The officers used a Taser and a 40mm nonlethal sponge round to subdue Avalos, who was taken to a hospital to recover from the force, Irvine Police Lt. Rick Handfield said last year.
Earlier, workers caught a glimpse of Avalos raising a shovel and repeatedly slamming it against Park's head, according to the District Attorney. Some reported that the tool-turned-weapon was a pickax, authorities say.
A judge has denied an additional enhancement to the murder charge for personal use of a deadly weapon, according to public records.
Park, who owned Blue Bird Landscape, apparantly picked up and hired Avalos and another man in Santa Ana, police said after the incident.
Public defender Christine McDonald and prosecuting attorney Matthew Murphy could not be reached for comment before publication.
Contact the writer: cbird@ocregister.com or 949-553-2915

Disgruntled employee?

Maybe the scool kids can raise money to buy him a nice new pickax

Originally Posted by jimpasz

Maybe the scool kids can raise money to buy him a nice new pickax

My thought too. Hope the school sees this article.