A man who fatally shot another man on Easter Sunday 2020 near the Rolando neighborhood was sentenced Monday to 50 years to life in state prison.
Juan Carlos Madrigal, 24, was convicted by a San Diego jury of first-degree murder for the April 12, 2020, shooting death of 24-year-old Debron Blaney Moore.
The same jury convicted Madrigal of an attempted murder count for shooting at a woman during the same shooting that killed Moore.
Prosecutors allege the shooting stemmed from an argument that began when Madrigal, his brother and his cousin were in a vehicle that struck Moore. An argument ensued and Moore left the scene, but Madrigal and his relatives drove after the victim, according to prosecutors.
Moore was shot at around 10 p.m. near the intersection of University and College avenues, according to the San Diego Police Department. The victim died later at a hospital.
At Madrigal’s sentencing hearing, defense attorney Amy Hoffman sought a new trial based on what she said was new evidence indicating the woman Moore was with had a gun, supporting the theory that Madrigal fired in self-defense.
Though four bullet casings were found at the shooting scene, a recording from the surrounding area captured six sounds that were similar to gunshots. Hoffman said analysis conducted by an audio analyst concluded two of those noises were also gunshots and the attorney argued they likely came from a gun wielded by the woman.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Melinda Lasater said the evidence indicated Madrigal fired first even if the woman also fired, though Hoffman said the mere presence of another gun supported the self-defense claim.
Lasater denied the new trial motion, saying the jury had heard the recording of the alleged gunshots and heard statements from the woman indicating she acted as though she had a gun, yet the panel returned guilty verdicts.
City News Service contributed to this article.
