The People v. Mills CA2/6

Facts Maria Ramirez Aguilar lived in a Santa Barbara house with her adult children, Herson and Joanna, her nephew, Juan Ortiz Aguilar, and other relatives. One Saturday, appellant and a woman came to the house and asked Maria whether she had a room for rent. On Sunday, Maria held a garage sale. That Monday morning, she was in her kitchen when she noticed appellant and the same woman again standing inside her house near the front door. Appellant was wearing a blue cap and holding a newspaper. Gesturing with the newspaper, he again asked Maria about a room for rent. She walked closer to him, to see what was in the newspaper. A third man, who was Black and younger than appellant, appeared and stood behind the woman. Appellant grabbed Maria by the throat and put a gun to her head. As she started to faint, Maria could hear appellant cursing at her. The sound of a gunshot revived her. Maria was on the floor with appellant on top of her. When she looked up, she could see her nephew, Juan Aguilar, lying on the floor nearby in a pool of blood. He had been shot in the forehead.

2 The intruders left the house. Maria cradled Juan's head in her lap while her son Herson called 911. Juan…