By VICTOR A. PATTON
vpatton@mercedsun-star.com
Two men arrested in the March shooting of a 54-year-old man near Livingston are now facing life in prison, after a jury Tuesday convicted them of attempted murder and other charges.
The jury of four men and eight women took barely an hour to deliberate in the trial of defendants Steven Magana, 25, and Timothy Coronado, 22.
Merced County sheriff's investigators believe the pair targeted the victim because his son had dropped out of Livas, a Norteno criminal street gang based in the Livingston area. Both men are members of the gang.
A third defendant, a 16-year-old boy, is being tried separately in the case. Coronado and the juvenile are both the victim's nephews.
The atmosphere was tense as a clerk read the verdicts. Magana bowed his head, placing his hand over his face, while Coronado remained expressionless.
More than a dozen friends and family members showed up to support the pair, many of them weeping as the verdicts were read. Members of the jury left quietly after, some requesting to be escorted back to their cars by deputies.
Members of the Merced Multi-Agency Gang Task Force were also on hand to escort jurors back to their cars and keep the peace.
Deputy District Attorney David Sandhaus said the case was an example of the tragic consequences of gang life, as both men now face a maximum of four consecutive life sentences behind bars. He commended the jurors for their decision. "These people had the courage and fortitude to see the truth and come to the right verdict," Sandhaus said.
Magana's attorney Jeffrey Tenenbaum and Coronado's attorney Hayden Smith had few comments in reaction to the verdict. Tenenbaum had argued during the trial Magana was home with his mother when the shooting was reported, and his client wasn't at the scene.
Smith argued it was "pitch black" outside when the shooting happened -- and the victim therefore couldn't have seen his attackers.
The defense attacked the credibility of the victim, who testified during the trial. The identity of the victim has been withheld by the Sun-Star because of concerns about his safety.
Smith said the victim, who was a former gang member himself, waited until two months after the shooting to step forward and cooperate with sheriff's investigators. Tenenbaum said the victim gave conflicting information, initially reporting that he was shot by two men -- but later saying there were three shooters. Tenenbaum also said the victim had lied about Magana's involvement in the crime.
"My client is obviously very disappointed with the verdict," Tenenbaum said.
Smith acknowledged that he was "a little bit surprised" the jury returned with a verdict so quickly.
Sandhaus said although the victim was once a gang member, he did the right thing by stepping forward and assisting law enforcement. "He made a mistake, but he was going to do what he could to protect his children from being gang victims," Sandhaus said.
The victim testified during the trial he and his 26-year-old son on March 9 had gone to Magana's house before the shooting. There, a fight broke out between the victim's son and the three suspects. The victim said the trio had targeted his son because he'd dropped out of the gang.
Later that night, the victim said Magana, Coronado and the juvenile came to his trailer. He testified to seeing the trio standing about 15 feet away, firing several shots at the trailer. Investigators said he was shot in the hip, stomach and arm. A bullet also grazed his face.
The victim admitted he purposefully withheld information from detectives, but later stepped forward after his son and a 4-year-old girl were shot two months later at a residence in Livingston. The man suspected Coronado, Magana and the juvenile were responsible for that shooting, although they were never charged.
In addition to the attempted murder charges, the defendants were convicted of shooting at an inhabited dwelling or vehicle, participation in a criminal street gang and enhancements for committing a felony to further the activities of a street gang.
Magana and Coronado are scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 6.
Reporter Victor A. Patton can be reached at (209) 385-2431 or vpatton@mercedsun-star.com.
Copied with permission from the Merced Sun-Star.
