People v. Serrano CA2/3

BACKGROUND

I. The underlying crimes

We summarize the following facts from the probation report. Brothers Ronald L. and Jason L. lived together in an apartment. They allowed gang members to stay at their apartment, and Serrano was one of the gang members who would come to the apartment several times a day. When the gang members began causing problems with other tenants, the apartment manager told Ronald and Jason to stop bringing gang members to the apartment. Ronald and Jason told the gang members they had to leave because they were bringing drugs to the complex and their neighbors had complained. On April 14, 2016, Serrano and others forced their way into the apartment. Serrano confronted Ronald, telling him, “ ‘I told you to let me in the apartment,’ ” placed a knife on Ronald’s face, and cut his face. When Jason tried to come between Serrano and

1 All further undesignated statutory references are to the Penal Code.

2 Ronald, Serrano stabbed Jason in the eye. The knife penetrated Jason’s brain, causing bleeding of the brain.

II. The charges, plea, and sentence

A felony complaint filed in 2016 charged Serrano with attempted murder (§§ 664, 187, subd. (a); count 1…