A jury has convicted a Chula Vista man of first and second-degree murder in the deaths of two South Bay men in 2002 and 2005. The jury deadlocked 11-1 for conviction in a 2003 murder in National City.
The El Cajon Superior Court jury deliberated 3 and-a-half days before convicting Jose Luis Valdez, 52, July 21 of first-degree murder of Daniel “Trips” Rodriguez, 20, who was shot on Oct. 13, 2005, under the bridge at Interstate 8 in Alpine.
The same jury also found Valdez guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Joseph Medina, 22, in Chula Vista on Dec. 11, 2002. The jury deadlocked 11-1 for conviction in the shooting death of Francisco Chaires, 22, in traffic in National City on July 6, 2003.
Valdez was also convicted of conspiracy to kill Rodriquez and with the special circumstance of being convicted of multiple murders. He faces a life sentence in prison without parole, said Deputy District Attorney David Grapilon, on Tuesday night.
Sentencing was set for Sept. 23 before El Cajon Superior Court Judge John Thompson. Valdez remains in jail since his 2013 arrest. The question of whether Valdez could face a re-trial in the National City murder may not be known until the sentencing.
Chaires was shot in the head while driving on West 8th Street and his vehicle crashed into a gas pump at a service station. A National City Police officer heard gunshots and found Chaires. He died several days later in a hospital.
Medina, a Chula Vista resident, was shot in the chest in the 1500 block of Industrial Boulevard. The jury also found true allegations that the slayings benefitted a criminal gang.
Two others, John Paul Reyna, 33, and Rashad Lansing, 35, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in Rodriguez’s death and are awaiting sentencing. During a preliminary hearing a year ago, a motive emerged as to why Rodriguez was killed.
Reyna was quoted as saying he didn’t like the way Rodriguez was treating Reyna’s sister, whom he was dating at the time. Valdez convinced Rodriguez into coming with the group and was told they were headed to an East County casino.
Once in Alpine, Valdez tricked Rodriguez into getting out of the car to look for something in the trunk, according to testimony. Valdez then shot him, and took off, leaving him for dead.
Rodriguez was found alive by a California Highway Patrol officer at 9:30 p.m. and taken to a hospital. He died three days later. Valdez’s cell phone was written on a piece of paper that was in Rodriguez’s pocket. A deputy called Valdez, but Valdez said he didn’t know Rodriguez.
The trial began in mid-June. Valdez, Reyna, and Rashad were arrested Sept. 19, 2013 by a coalition of law enforcement agencies including Chula Vista Police, National City Police, sheriff’s department cold case unit, the FBI, and the East County Gang Task Force following a long investigation.
