People v. Veliz CA2/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

1. Facts Appellant was born in Guatemala, but moved to the United States when he was young. He met Saul Reyes (Reyes) and Christian Martinez (Martinez) through his male cousin who dated Reyes before eventually moving out of state. Appellant and Reyes became friends, and when appellant was 17 years old, he worked in Reyes’s sunglasses shop. At some point, appellant borrowed $700 from Reyes. Reyes then contacted him repeatedly to repay the loan or to have sex with him in lieu of repayment. Appellant did not want to have sex with Reyes, and had a girlfriend at the time. According to appellant, Reyes drugged him at a party one time and had sex with him while he was incapacitated. On the evening of April 29, 2018, appellant was cooking at the home he shared with his female cousin and his girlfriend. Around 10:00 p.m., he went outside to meet Reyes and Martinez who were sitting in a car. After appellant got into the car, he shot Reyes and Martinez in the head several times each and slit their throats with a box cutter. Appellant took their cell phones,

1 Illinois v. Perkins (1990) 496 U.S. 292 [110 S.Ct. 2394].

2 returned home, washed up, and…