Castello

The defendants, Alberto Gastello and Joe Albo, both natives of the republic of Mexico and aged, respectively, twenty-one and twenty-two years, were convicted in the superior court of the county of Los Angeles of the crime of grand larceny, committed on the thirtieth day of March, 1923. Before taking up their residences in Los Angeles they had resided at El Paso and had been acquaintances for several years. Gastello had a wife and two young children. Both of said defendants speak and read the English language. On said thirtieth day of March, 1923, Mrs. K. Omura, a Japanese woman, had employed an expressman to convey her household effects and the family wearing apparel of herself, husband and children to a steamer on which she was soon to take passage for Japan. Said household effects and wearing apparel were packed in trunks, boxes, baskets, suitcases, and cloth containers. A Singer ' sewing-machine had been crated. All of said household effects, including said sewing-machine and wearing apparel, were placed by said expressman upon his autotruck. En route to the steamer landing he entered his place of business for a few minutes and upon returning fqund that the truck and its…