Two males carried out a deadly taking pictures of an acquaintance at a North Lengthy Seashore horse steady the place all of them frolicked and later instructed jailhouse informants it was due to a lover’s quarrel and probably as a result of the sufferer owed cash, a prosecutor instructed a jury throughout closing arguments of their trial Friday, Could 24.
Luis Barrios, 56, and Leonel Zapien Martinez, 34, face expenses of homicide and conspiracy stemming from the Dec. 18, 2021 taking pictures of 46-year-old Abelardo Ramirez Bonilla, also called “Tato,” as he left The Ranch, a horse steady close to 72nd Avenue and Atlantic Place.
Attorneys representing each males argued prosecutors hadn’t introduced forth sufficient proof to show that both of the lads dedicated the taking pictures, nor did they present proof of a plan to kill Bonilla.
Jurors have been handed the case Friday afternoon after a trial that lasted greater than per week.
A 3rd man, Eleazer Lopez, 36, will likely be tried individually on the identical expenses, court docket data present.
Prosecutor Kenneth Chu referenced recorded jailhouse statements by Barrios and Martinez that the taking pictures was deliberate as a result of Lopez was courting a girl who had damaged up with Bonilla months prior and he was jealous that she was nonetheless exchanging calls and messages with Bonilla. Martinez additionally instructed the informant it might need partly been over cash owed to Lopez.
All 4 males knew each other and frolicked at The Ranch, with the lady testifying throughout trial that Bonilla was usually seen hanging out with Barrios and Lopez hung with Martinez, mentioned Jennifer Valdez, Barrios’ public defender. Each Bonilla and Lopez at instances lived with Martinez.
The lady testified that she dated Bonilla for 2 years, Chu mentioned, however was launched to Lopez and began courting him whereas Bonilla was serving time in jail for home violence, he mentioned. Bonilla was upset that he would nonetheless see his ex-girlfriend on the stables and continued to name and textual content her, which angered Lopez.
“Suspicion and jealousy grows,” Chu mentioned. “(Lopez is) checking her calls, he accuses her of mendacity to him” about nonetheless seeing Bonilla.
Whereas it’s not recognized when the plan was hatched to kill Bonilla, Chu pointed to recorded jailhouse conversations, surveillance video and textual content messages indicating the three males have been all conscious of a plan at the least a day previous to the taking pictures.
Barrios, in a recorded jailhouse dialog, instructed an informant that he was good associates with Bonilla, however the sufferer was mad at him on the time for hanging out with Lopez and Martinez, Chu mentioned. At one other level, he instructed the informant he knew that the opposite two have been planning to kill Bonilla.
Regardless of their good friendship, Chu mentioned, Barrios by no means warned Bonilla of these plans.
As a substitute, Barrios instructed the informant he used his brother-in-law’s truck to drive Martinez to the stables, the prosecutor mentioned.
On the night time of the homicide, Chu mentioned Barrios drove to the stables simply previous 7:30 p.m. to see if Bonilla was there. After recognizing his SUV, Barrios left, however got here again about quarter-hour later and waited for Bonilla to exit the stables.
Bonilla’s SUV is seen on surveillance video driving away from the stables, however then stops simply because it will get out of view of the digital camera. A shout is heard adopted by six gunshots three to 5 seconds later. Chu instructed the jury Martinez was the gunman.
Two hours later, officers have been pointed to an SUV after a resident mentioned they heard gunshots earlier that night time, police mentioned. They discovered Bonilla slumped ahead within the driver’s seat of his SUV with the lights on and the engine working, Chu mentioned.
The prosecutor confirmed textual content messages indicating Lopez needed Barrios to select up a gun from him earlier than the homicide and return it when he was carried out.
He additionally pointed to a portion of Martinez’s jailhouse dialog wherein Martinez tells the informant he shot the sufferer from shut vary about 5 or 6 instances. Martinez additionally admitted that he was given the gun.
“And that idiot (Lopez) has the woman of the man I wasted,” the person prosecutors establish as Martinez instructed the informant.
Nonetheless, protection attorneys representing each males mentioned there was no direct proof to show their involvement.
Malika Djafar, representing Martinez, instructed the jury there was no proof of Martinez firing a gun, a lot much less being within the alley main into the stables the night time of the taking pictures, nor was there any proof Martinez was concerned within the planning of the taking pictures.
Djafar argued the proof confirmed that Barrios was the shooter and that cellphone knowledge confirmed Martinez was at dwelling that night time.
“There’s no proof he’s in that alley, there’s no proof there was a second individual within the automobile and no proof that anybody else drove that truck,” Djafar mentioned. “There’s no DNA, no fingerprints to recommend he ever touched these bullets.”
As for what Martinez instructed the jailhouse informant, Djafar pointed to inconsistencies in his statements and mentioned he was doubtless intimidated and confused by the informant.
Barrios’ public defender, Jennifer Valdez, mentioned prosecutors confirmed no proof that Barrios ever agreed to a plan to kill Bonilla.
“You need to ask your self why he would help in committing a homicide over a girl he’s not associated to and whom his good friend nonetheless cared about,” Valdez mentioned. “The reply is he didn’t.”
The following day, Barrios confirmed up at a memorial for Bonilla to hang around, drink with associates and assist elevate cash for his funeral, Valdez mentioned, all indications that he had no intention of killing Bonilla.
Nonetheless, Chu countered that Barrios may have gone to the memorial to listen to what folks have been saying or see if any witnesses have been round. Barrios by no means mentioned something on the memorial about who shot Bonilla, nor did he ever name police.
As a substitute, Chu mentioned, Martinez instructed his landlord the next day that he had shot “Tato.” The owner known as a tip line months after the taking pictures and instructed them what he had heard.
Barrios was arrested 5 days after the taking pictures, Martinez was arrested greater than two months later and Lopez was arrested 9 months later, based on arrest data.
Jurors have been set to renew deliberating Tuesday.