Verdugo

Defendant Nathan Verdugo was convicted of the first degree murders of Yolanda Navarro and Richard Rodriguez. (Pen. Code, §§ 187, 189.) [1] The jury also found true the multiple-murder special-circumstance allegation, as well as allegations that defendant personally used a firearm, i.e., a shotgun, in each crime. (§§ 190.2, subd. (a)(3), 12022.5, former subd. (a).) At the penalty phase, it returned a death verdict, and the trial court entered a judgment of death. This appeal is automatic. (Cal. Const., art. VI, § 11, subd. (a); Pen. Code, § 1239, subd. (b).) We affirm the judgment.

On October 22, 1994, defendant went to a Halloween party at the home of Hector Casas in the Glassell Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The party was well attended, and guests included Lisa Ruvalcaba, Raymond Muro, Paul Escoto, defendant's friend Michael (Mike) Arevalo, and victims Rodriguez and Navarro. Defendant wore wire-rimmed glasses and drove a black Honda CRX, which had tinted windows and a loud exhaust system.

At one point Lisa Ruvalcaba—who resembled victim Yolanda Navarro— attacked Michael Arevalo, hitting him in the face with a beer bottle. Arevalo, who was bleeding and enraged,…