A jury has convicted a Bonita man of involuntary manslaughter in the 2010 beating death of Joseph Barrs, 21, following a party in Chula Vista.
The jury acquitted Uriel Alejandro Sanchez, 21, of murder, and found him guilty of the lesser offense on Sept. 30. He faces up to four years in state prison when he is sentenced on Nov. 10 by Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Francis Devaney.
The same jury acquitted a co-defendant, Anthony Talavera, 19, of Chula Vista, of felony assault in the beating of Barrs. A murder charge against Talavera was dismissed at his preliminary hearing in March and he only stood trial with Sanchez for felony assault.
Barrs was found mortally injured in the street in the 400 block of Krista Court in Chula Vista on Oct. 10, 2010. Medics performed CPR on Barrs, but he died at the scene from head and face injuries.
The conflict between Sanchez and Barrs involved a dispute about a young woman who had dated Barrs. There were some self-defense issues as the victim threw the first punch, according to testimony. The beating occurred after a large party in which alcohol was served.
The prosecutor declined comment afterward, and the attorneys for Sanchez and Talavera couldn’t be reached for comment.
Sanchez may be eligible for probation and Devaney will determine that at sentencing. Sanchez surrendered to Chula Vista police officers the next day after the death, and he remains in the South Bay Detention Facility on $1 million bail.
