Crime & Public Safety
Man convicted in Orange County killings of woman and infant left in vehicle
An Orange County jury convicted a 26-year-old man on two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in a case tied to a 2021 violent encounter that left a woman and her one-year-old daughter dead. The convictions stem from the shooting of a man in the home, the subsequent removal of the woman and infant from the scene, and their discovery two days later inside a vehicle.
Prosecutors say the defendant, a childhood friend who had lived in the home, shot the boyfriend multiple times after being asked to leave. The boyfriend testified at trial. Prosecutors allege the defendant then left the residence with the woman and her infant. Two days after the shooting, the woman was found shot to death inside the vehicle and the infant’s body was beside her.
An Orange County detective testified about interior car temperatures reaching above 120 degrees, and investigators concluded the baby likely died of heat exhaustion. The trial began with jury selection earlier in the week; jurors received the case around 4:00 p.m. on Thursday and returned a verdict in about 20 minutes, just before 4:30 p.m.
The defendant was convicted on two murder counts and one attempted murder count. Sentencing is scheduled for November 16 at 10:30 a.m., and the mother of the deceased woman has said she will read a victim impact statement at that hearing. The convictions and sentencing date are the current documented status of the case.
All individuals accused of a crime are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in court.
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All individuals mentioned in criminal allegations are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.