An ex-con who used a samurai sword and a barbecue fork to kill his younger brother during a fight at their Chula Vista home was convicted Monday of first-degree murder.
Alberto Gonzalez Figueroa Jr., 37, was also found guilty of torture in the April 2, 2013, death of 24-year-old Mario Figueroa.
A status conference was scheduled Feb. 23. Figueroa faces more than 25 years to life in prison when he is sentenced.
Chula Vista police said the siblings’ grandfather found them scuffling in a bedroom at their condominium in the 2000 block of Lakeridge Circle about 7:15 a.m. It was unclear what prompted the dispute between the siblings, who, according to police, had a history of fighting.
Their grandfather tried to break up the fight before hurrying to a nearby home for help, police said.
A neighbor called 911 and responding officers and paramedics found the younger Figueroa wounded on the floor of the bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
The defendant, who has been to prison twice before, was arrested about 45 minutes later near Prospect Street and Sweetwater Road.
— City News Service
