People v. Hernandez CA4/2

I. BACKGROUND

On May 8, 2016, Hernandez and Navarrette confronted Lazaro in a liquor store

parking lot. During the confrontation, Navarrette shot Lazaro three times with a

semiautomatic handgun, killing him. The shooting was captured on surveillance video,

which was played for the jury.

Immediately before the shooting, Lazaro pulled his truck into the liquor store

parking lot. Navarrette and Hernandez drove past in a car a moment later (Navarrette

driving, Hernandez in the front passenger seat), turned around, and then followed Lazaro

into the parking lot. Navarrette stopped the car between Lazaro’s truck and the front door

of the store. As Lazaro walked towards the store, Hernandez opened his door of the car,

Lazaro stopped and approached, and the two exchanged words. Lazaro then started

walking back to his truck. As he did so, Navarrette got out of the car and opened fire.

Hernandez and Navarrette then got back into the car and drove away.

At the joint trial of Hernandez and Navarrette, the prosecution presented evidence

that the shooting was the culmination of an ongoing dispute between Hernandez and

Lazaro, in which Lazaro’s family had become embroiled.…