After deliberating 11 and a half hours over three days, a jury Wednesday convicted the getaway driver in a drive-by shooting of first-degree murder in the slaying of Jordan Hickey as he pushed a bicycle up a hill in National City in 2011.
The seven man, five woman jury also found a special circumstance true against Juan Ignacio Gomez, 24, that acknowledged he was involved in a fatal drive-by shooting from a vehicle. Hickey, 21, died after being shot three times with a shotgun.
The special circumstance finding means Gomez will be sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. Gomez, wearing a blue shirt, showed no reaction in San Diego Superior Court. The jury also convicted Gomez of conspiracy to commit murder.
“I’m very, very happy with what the jury came back with,” said Jeannine Hickey, mother of the victim. “I’m very happy with the jurors that we had.”
A May 20 trial is set for the gunman, Humberto “Beto” Galvez, 22, and the District Attorney’s Office is seeking the death penalty if Galvez is convicted of first-degree murder with special circumstances. Galvez and Gomez are cousins who once lived in the same Logan Avenue house when they were arrested in March 2012.
Jeannine Hickey said the verdict “gives me peace” because “they cannot ever get out” of prison if Galvez is also convicted.
“My son was good, peaceful and kind. He was like a big teddy bear,” said Jeannine Hickey, who said she named him Jordan from the Jordan River in the Bible.
Judge Peter Deddeh, sitting in for Judge Jeff Fraser, set sentencing for April 24. Both Gomez and Galvez remain in jail.
“I’m glad justice was done for my grandson,” said Jo-Anne Hickey.
Deputy District Attorney David Grapilon said the April 29, 2011, slaying was “essentially a thrill killing.” Gomez admitted to being the driver and told a friend he turned the music up while Galvez fired three shotgun blasts out the window.
Gomez’s attorney, Ricardo Garcia, asked jurors Monday to convict him of second-degree murder, saying his client “lacked the intent to kill.” Garcia said Gomez has no prior record and “regrets what he did,” Gomez did not testify.
Grapilon told jurors that Gomez is “sorry for getting caught” and that he knew “they were going to kill him” as Gomez drove Galvez’s vehicle in the 2800 block of Grove Street at 12:35 a.m.
Jurors listened to video recordings of Gomez’s admissions to sheriff’s detectives during deliberations. Detectives put
Galvez and Gomez in the same room by themselves to see what they would say.
On tape, Gomez told Galvez that detectives accused him of murder, which puzzled Galvez, suggesting that Gomez was only the driver. Gomez said he knew both of them would face 25 years to life in prison if convicted and he hoped that
Galvez would be in the same prison with him.
“I’ll do my time,” said Gomez to Galvez.
Galvez, who was 19 at the time, said little, but added this comment: “My whole life — just wasted.” Gomez said he was drunk at the time of the shooting.
