VISALIA – A juvenile who pleaded guilty to the murder of a popular El Monte High School teacher has been sentenced in Tulare County.
The juvenile was sentenced on Dec. 10. Under California law, the names of juveniles are not released, nor can juveniles be tried as adults. This resulted in the teenager receiving a maximum sentence in a juvenile facility, where he will remain in custody up to the age of 25. The two other adult individuals involved in the crime are pending trial.
The juvenile admitted to the crime in August. According to investigators, the juvenile had broken into the home of Sergio Martin with the intent to burglarize the residence. Martin confronted the suspect, who fired multiple shots, killing the teacher. After shooting Martin, the juvenile fled the scene, but returned later with two men, Jorge Luis Arrieta and Joseph Angel Garcia. Neighbors spotted the three individuals who had returned to collect stolen property and to retrieve the firearm used in the crime.
Police later identified the juvenile through video surveillance and took him into custody at his residence.
There was no tie found between Martin and the juvenile convicted of the crime. The juvenile was also convicted of aggravated burglary and special allegations for the use of a firearm in the commission of a crime. Arrieta and Garcia face charges of second-degree burglary and as an accessory after the fact.
“(Martin) just had something good to say about everyone. He was funny and I can’t believe I’m talking about him in the past tense. I’m gonna miss him,” the teacher’s cousin, Wendy Gonzalez said at the time of his funeral, as reported by ABC30 Action News. “All the students loved him, I mean loved. We’re just gonna have great memories of him.”
More than 200 people attended the funeral services for Martin, which were held in his hometown of Dinuba. Martin’s father, Manuel, died of a heart attack just four months after the homicide. The family believes Manuel’s death was related to the murder of his son, according to reports.
“Had they not murdered my cousin, my uncle would still be alive,” Gonzalez said. “He’d be alive, happy, healthy. Both of them are celebrating Easter. This is a tragedy. This is the murder of (two) people, not just my cousin but also of my uncle. They are responsible for both.”
