People v. Antracoli CA6

I. BACKGROUND

Because Antracoli pleaded no contest before the preliminary hearing, we draw the description below from the probation report and the sentencing hearing. On April 19, 2023, in the middle of the day, Jorge Torres was walking his dog, a five-year-old pocket bully, around a town home complex in San Jose. Pocket bullies are valuable, and, according to the prosecutor, Torres paid between $1,500 and $2,000 for his dog. Pocket bullies also resemble French bulldogs, which have become a mascot for the Norteño criminal gang, of which Antracoli was a member. When Torres and his dog approached Antracoli’s car, Antracoli exited, tried to grab the dog, and fatally shot Torres. Multiple witnesses saw the shooting, which also was recorded on surveillance footage. In addition, a firearm with Antracoli’s fingerprints was left on the roadway near Torres’ body. In May 2023, Antracoli was arrested and charged with murder under Penal Code section 187, subdivision (a). (Subsequent unspecified statutory references are to the Penal Code.) Shortly thereafter, Antracoli entered into a plea agreement under which he agreed to plead no contest to the murder charge as well as an enhancement for…