People v. Barnes CA4/2

FACTS

On September 12, 2011, a number of members of a family, including all of the

named victims and an undisclosed number of other relatives, attended a social gathering

at the home of Sophia Cardona in San Bernardino. Early in the evening, Ladonna and

Jerry Howie went to a store to purchase some ingredients for dinner and some beer. Jerry

rode his bicycle and Ladonna walked or rode on Jerry’s bicycle. On the way back to the

house, they saw defendant in the middle of the street, beating up a young woman. The

woman was yelling at him to stop and saying, “I didn’t stab her.” Jerry yelled at

defendant to stop. A verbal altercation ensued between Jerry Howie and defendant and

two or three other men who were present. Defendant ran away. Ladonna asked the

young woman if she wanted to come with them, but she declined. Jerry and Ladonna

returned to the house.

A short while later, defendant walked up to the house where the Howies and their

family had gathered. Ladonna and Jerry Howie, Albert and Justin Hull, Lorenzo Mancha

and Robert Mergil were all on the porch; the Howies’ four-year-old daughter Justine

Aguilar was in the front yard. Defendant began shooting at the house,…