People v. Lomeli CA2/8

FACTS

Lomeli and his girlfriend, Jenny Salazar, lived with Gabby and James in a property owned by James’s mother, Gladys. On December 8, 2010, Gabby’s daughter heard Lomeli threaten to kill James “like a dog” while she was visiting. When James visited his mother the following day, she noticed he looked like he had been in a fight. That was the last time Gladys saw James. On December 16, 2010, Gladys asked her two other sons to check on James. They were unable to find him at the property. Gladys reported James missing on December 17, 2010. The police conducted three welfare checks at the property to investigate James’s disappearance, but were unable to determine James’s whereabouts. They observed Gabby on two of these visits and last saw her on December 28, 2010. In January 2011, Lomeli approached Richard Hugh, an acquaintance of Salazar’s, for financial assistance. He told Hugh he had inherited a sum of money and wanted help investing it. Hugh set up a time to meet with him, but Lomeli did not show up. Later that night, Salazar went to Hugh’s home and told him Lomeli was outside, down the block. After they got into Hugh’s truck and had driven a short distance, Salazar demanded…