2010 gang shooting trial underway in Merced

A Merced County prosecutor on Friday told a jury that defendant Johnny Ray Munoz and his friends were hunting for gang rivals in 2010 when they shot an innocent teenage couple outside a Planada home because one of the victims was wearing a blue sweatshirt.

Monica Garcia was shot in the head Aug. 30, 2010, on Broadway Avenue in Planada and her boyfriend, Justin Gonzales, was shot in the back, the bullet lodging in his abdomen, said Mathew Martinez, the deputy district attorney prosecuting the case.

“She’d had a bad volleyball game earlier that day, and he went over there to try and help make her feel better,” Martinez said.

Munoz, 26, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of attempted murder, as well as gang and weapons charges. He faces a potential sentence of life in prison if convicted.

Both victims survived their injuries and are expected to testify during the trial, which began Friday before Judge John D. Kirihara in Merced Superior Court. A jury of six men and six women heard opening statements Friday morning from Martinez and from Munoz’s defense attorney, William Davis.

Martinez told jurors there was “no doubt” Munoz was one of the three shooters responsible for attacking the teenagers.

The prosecutor also noted that ammunition was found in Munoz’s home that matched some of the shell casings found at the scene. Martinez also said Munoz’s thumbprint was found inside the vehicle used in the attack.

Davis, in his opening statement, acknowledged to jurors that his client is a gang member and his thumbprint was inside the vehicle, but said none of that proves Munoz was inside the vehicle on the night in question.

Davis also noted that a key witness in the case for prosecutors only agreed to testify after negotiating a plea bargain with the district attorney for a lenient sentence in exchange for his testimony.

“This was an awful crime,” Davis said. “But there’s not proof beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Munoz was there.”

Co-defendants Ramon Manzo and Jesus Ceja have pleaded guilty to charges of premeditated attempted murder. Manzo was sentenced to 37 years in state prison, and Ceja was ordered to serve a life sentence with the possibility of parole. Ceja must serve at least 15 years before he is eligible for his first parole hearing, according to Merced Superior Court records.

A fourth defendant in the case, Ezequiel C. Castillo, 24, who was the driver on the night in question, pleaded guilty earlier this year to aiding the three and was sentenced to 11 years in prison, authorities said.

The trial resumes Tuesday.

This story was originally published December 5, 2014 at 4:42 PM with the headline "2010 gang shooting trial underway in Merced."