One of three suspects arrested for the 2007 shooting death of teenager Luis Miranda in Maxwell Park has been convicted of second-degree murder. Juan Carlos Perez, 25, of American Canyon, faces at least 15 years in prison, a sentence that could be increased based on gang allegations and the use of a gun.
Miranda, 17, was shot down on October 22, 2007, as he stood in a large group of teens informally gathered near the Boys and Girls Club. The other two suspects, Juan Calderon, 19, and Javier Ceja, 21, both of Sonoma, are each being tried separately.
All three were initially charged with first-degree murder in the gang-related incident. Calderon was a minor at the time of the shooting, when he allegedly slipped through the woods at the park’s edge and advanced on Miranda with a sawed-off shotgun. He will be tried as an adult in a trial to be set next week.
In prosecuting Perez, Sonoma County Deputy District Attorney Bob Waner stipulated that the young man was not the shooter but argued that Perez was equally guilty for the killing. Perez provided the weapon, instruction and a getaway plan, according to the prosecution.
The defense called for a charge of involuntary manslaughter, arguing that Calderon was solely responsible for his own actions. The jury ultimately decided on the second-degree count last Friday. The trial began June 4.
Murder conviction in Maxwell Park shooting
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