Thread: CA:Man found dead in berry field was stabbed 80 times

District attorney: Man found dead in berry field was stabbed 80 times by Watsonville gang leader
By Jennifer Squires - Sentinel Staff Writer
Posted: 01/24/2009 01:30:57 AM PST


Click photo to enlarge«12»SANTA CRUZ -- A Watsonville gang leader accused of murder is being held on $1 million bail after the district attorney told a judge that Jose Velasquez and other gang members stabbed a man 80 times, then left his bloody body near a Pajaro Valley berry field.

District Attorney Bob Lee gave new details about the gruesome killing during the first court appearance for Velasquez, 25, one of two Watsonville men who have been arrested and charged with murdering Oscar Avalos Sanchez, 35, and dumping his body off Carlton Road earlier this month.

"The facts of this case include 80 stabbings," Lee said. "It was almost to the point of torture."

All of the 80 stabs punctured Sanchez's sweatshirt, 60 penetrated his undershirt and 40 went into his skin, Lee said. Several were mortal.

Sheriff's Office detectives have said Velasquez and Alejandro Chavez, 22, are equally responsible for killing Sanchez, who was an acquaintance, on Jan. 6. Chavez was arrested last week in Missouri and is expected to be extradited to California next week.

All three men had gang ties, and Lee said Velasquez is the leader of a Watsonville gang, which was not identified. However, gang relations were not the motive for the killing, according to investigators.

The motive "was personal, that's all I can tell you," Lee said outside of the courtroom.

In court, Velasquez was dressed in orange jail-issue clothes. He had a moustache, shaved head and several tattoos, including a "1" and a "3" on his neck. The number "13" is affiliated with Latino street gangs.

When asked about his ability to hire an attorney, Velasquez, a forklift driver, told the judge he supports two children and couldn't afford an attorney. Public Defender Nancy de la Pena was appointed to represent him. She argued against a bail increase Lee requested.

Velasquez's bail was set at $770,000 when he was booked on the murder charge earlier this week. Judge Paul Marigonda increased it to $1 million Friday.

A neighbor on Peckham Road spotted Sanchez's body the morning of Jan. 7 and called 911. The subsequent investigation, aided largely by anonymous tips, pointed Sheriff's Office detectives to Velasquez, Chavez and a third suspect who has not been named.

"This case broke because people in Watsonville came forward," Lee said. "Some people decided that violence in their city is unacceptable. ... Law enforcement applauds that."

Sanchez, a native of Mexico, had lived in Watsonville for the past six years and returned to the area a couple of weeks before he was killed. He had been deported in early December after serving a jail sentence in Monterey County, according to the Sheriff's Office. Detectives said they did not know if Sanchez or the men accused of killing him were in the U.S. legally, and added that those details were not pertinent to the homicide investigation.

Velasquez and Chavez, the two men charged with murder, both have significant criminal records, according to detectives.

Lee detailed some of Velasquez's criminal history in court Friday. They included a gang conviction in 2002, a gun possession case from Los Angeles and convictions for driving under the influence and driving without a license. Velasquez has served two stints in state prison and had just finished a probation term for a vandalism conviction when the killing occurred, Lee said.

Chavez had prior drug cases and was arrested in Missouri on warrants for those crimes, then later booked on the murder charge, according to detectives.

Both Velasquez and Chavez are charged with murder and allegations they using deadly weapons and are active participants in a criminal street gang.

Lee explained that gang allegation -- rather than one that states the crime was for the benefit of the gang -- was included because "it's not gang-motivated, but it's done by gang members associating."

The District Attorney's Office is also considering filing an allegation that the crime was serious enough to warrant a prison sentence of life without the possibility of parole, meaning Velasquez and Chavez would automatically be sentenced to life in prison if convicted of murder.

Contact Jennifer Squires at 429-2449 or jsquires@santacruzsentinel.com.

http://www.santacruzsentinel.com/localnews/ci_11544385

I have already written the author, this ticks me off, I will call the police dept as soon as I find the number. Talk about irresponsible, they have extensive records and they don't know if they are here legally or not.

I called 831-768-3300, office is currently closed, guess I will have to wait.

The immigration status of these two career criminal gang-bangers is absolutely relevant.....because if they were here illegally....they have been allowed to commit crimes and not one single law enforcement agency or official ever bothered to contact ICE....this crime could've been prevented had ICE been notified .....ICE could've placed detainers on these gang-bangers so that they would't be released into the community either on bail, probation or parole and could've instead been in immediate deportation proceedings upon serving their sentences, if any.

Originally Posted by legalatina

The immigration status of these two career criminal gang-bangers is absolutely relevant.....because if they were here illegally....they have been allowed to commit crimes and not one single law enforcement agency or official ever bothered to contact ICE....this crime could've been prevented had ICE been notified .....ICE could've placed detainers on these gang-bangers so that they would't be released into the community either on bail, probation or parole and could've instead been in immediate deportation proceedings upon serving their sentences, if any.

I see your point, but Sanchez was also a gang member who had been deported...and he was back in approximately 2 weeks, if I've done the math right. He was deported in mid-December and was back approximately 2 weeks before he was murdered in mid-January. One more part of the problem that needs to be fixed.

Velasquez's bail was set at $770,000 when he was booked on the murder charge earlier this week. Judge Paul Marigonda increased it to $1 million Friday.

What the hell is wrong with Valasquez's attorney de la Pena. Is she crazy? Why would any judge lower this animals bail? Why would any judge even give him a bail? I hope he gets the death penalty.

Originally Posted by butterbean

What the hell is wrong with Valasquez's attorney de la Pena. Is she crazy? Why would any judge lower this animals bail? Why would any judge even give him a bail? I hope he gets the death penalty.

Did you miss the part that said he's supporting two kids? Only Demon Racists want to separate families!

First suspect in Pajaro Valley berry field stabbing pleads not guilty
February 5th, 2009 · Add a Comment

SANTA CRUZ — The alleged Watsonville gang leader accused in the slaying of a Mexican national in South County last month Thursday pleaded not guilty to a charge of murder and allegations he used a stabbing instrument and is in a gang.
Jose Velasquez, 25, appeared in court with one of the two other men accused in the crime — 19-year-old Cristobal Ramirez of Watsonville. Ramirez, who was arrested Monday after being on the lam for nearly a month.
Ramirez allegedly drove the car that transported Oscar Avalos Sanchez, 35, from Velasquez’s Watsonville home to the berry field in Pajaro Valley where his dead body was discovered. After the killing, Ramirez fled to Mexico. When he returned this week, a relative called the Sheriff’s Office to arrange his surrender, detectives have said.
In court Thursday, Ramirez was dressed in the same yellow jail-issue clothes that Velasquez wore. The younger man said he makes $500 a week working as a forklift driver and helps support his family, so Judge Paul Marigonda appointed an attorney to represent him.
Both Velasquez and Ramirez will return to court Feb. 19, at which time Ramirez is expected to enter a plea on murder and gang charges. Also, a date for a preliminary hearing may be set.
Friday, the third suspect in the killing, Alejandro Chavez, 22, also of Watsonville, will be arraigned on the same list of charges.
The men allegedly stabbed Sanchez 80 times with an undisclosed weapon, with 40 of those wounds puncturing Sanchez’s skin. Several were mortal, according to the District Attorney’s Office. The attack was spurred by some sort of personal issue between Sanchez and Velasquez, detectives have said.
Sanchez, also a gang member, had lived in the Watsonville area on and off for the past six years. He had been deported to Mexico in December after serving a jail sentence in Monterey County and had only been back in the area for a couple weeks when he was killed.

http://www.santacruzlive.com/blogs/crim ... ot-guilty/