People v. Solano CA2/2

FACTS AND PROCEDURAL BACKGROUND

I. Facts3

A. The underlying crimes On a Tuesday night in late September 1998, defendant and four others—her boyfriend (Armando Perez), her roommate (Brenda Moreno), and two of her boyfriend’s friends (Dennis Barroso and Brian Scott)—drove around the San Gabriel Valley committing a rash of violent crimes. Defendant was the driver, and was behind the wheel of her own SUV. Before starting the crime spree, defendant drove the others to a store to buy knitted black gloves and then made two further stops so that the others could pick up several shotguns and handguns. The group started with a carjacking in Diamond Bar. Around 10:15 p.m., defendant followed a woman in an Infiniti until defendant’s boyfriend and his two friends hopped out and, with shotguns and handguns on display, forced the Infiniti driver out of her car. They demanded her purse, her watch and her necklace, and drove off in her car. Then the group attempted a second carjacking in Rosemead. Once again, defendant followed the intended victim into his driveway. When defendant’s boyfriend and his friend Barroso jumped out of her SUV and pointed their shotguns at the driver of the…