Opinion
Introduction
On May 28, 1991, appellants Guillermo Bustos and Michael Loretto robbed and murdered Jacqueline Kirkham in a women’s restroom on Zuma Beach in Malibu. Appellants were under age 18 at the time, but were tried as adults. Appellants waived jury trial and, in light of confessions by each implicating the other, were tried separately by the court.
As to Bustos, who personally stabbed the victim to death, the court found him guilty as charged of (1) first degree murder and of the special circumstances that the murder was committed while lying in wait (Pen. Code, § 190.2, subd. (a)(15)) 1 and in the commission of robbery (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(i)), (2) robbery, and (3) as to both offenses, personally using a deadly weapon (§ 12022, subd. (b)) and personally inflicting great bodily injury (§ 1203.075). The court sentenced Bustos to state prison for life without the possibility of parole (§ 190.5, subd. (b)), plus one year (§ 12022).
As to Loretto, the court found him guilty of (1) first degree murder with the special circumstance that the murder was in the commission of robbery (§ 190.2, subd. (a)(17)(i)), (2) robbery, and (3) as to both offenses, personally inflicting great bodily injury (§ 1203.075). The court found Mm not guilty of personally using a deadly weapon and of the special circumstance of lying in wait. The court sentenced Loretto to state prison for 25 years to life. (§ 190.5, subd. (b).)
On appeal, appellants raise several contentions, mostly relating to the sentences. We affirm the convictions and remand for resentencing, because the trial court erred in sentencing appellants to state prison without first obtaimng a diagnostic study from the Youth Authority as required by Welfare and Institutions Code section 707.2. We reject the People’s contention that section 190.5, enacted by Proposition 115, rendered appellants ineligible for commitment to the Youth Authority or rendered superfluous the study required by Welfare and Institutions Code section 707.2.
The evidence in the two trials is largely duplicative and undisputed below. We summarize the undisputed background circumstances and then relate the details of appellants’ confessions.
Appellants and their friend Jason Alexander lived in the Santa Fe, New Mexico, area. To avoid apprehension for a burglary there in which they were involved together, the three fled New Mexico by taking a bus to Los Angeles. They quickly ran out of money and were unable to stay with Alexander’s grandfather as they had hoped. They began sleeping nights in a restroom at Zuma Beach, and ate only twice in three days.
On May 28, 1991, they observed the victim arrive at the beach in her car, a red 1990 Nissan 240SX. They decided to rob her in order to take her car and drive it back home to New Mexico.
The victim was a 43-year-old woman in fit condition who liked to exercise and tan. After appellants observed her for several hours tanning on the beach, they saw her enter a women’s restroom. Appellant Loretto entered the restroom to rob her. She resisted and screamed. Loretto struck her about the head and face, knocking her down. Bustos, who was outside, grabbed a six-inch knife which Alexander had brought with him, and entered the restroom. Bustos stabbed the victim twice, both wounds being fatal. One stab was to the chest, fracturing the sternum and perforating the heart and right lung. The second was to the left side, fracturing the left seventh rib and perforating the left lung and diaphragm.
Appellants took the victim’s purse and drove away in her car with Alexander. A witness gave police the license number and a description of the suspects. Appellants pawned the victim’s two gold rings in Laughlin, Nevada, threw away the purse, and threw away the knife. After appellants returned to Santa Fe with the stolen car, it was involved in an accident. Investigation by the New Mexico State Police, Sante Fe County Sheriff, and Los Angeles County Sheriff quickly led to appellants, who were taken into custody. Following appellants’ confessions, the authorities recovered the pawned rings, the victim’s purse, and the knife.
According to the two confessions by Bustos, Loretto planned the crime and contemplated the killing of the victim. 2 Loretto suggested that “we should just mug a bitch and take her fuckin’ car.” When Loretto saw Jacqueline Kirkham and her car, he suggested she be the victim. Bustos objected that if they stole the car they would be caught because the police would have the license number. Loretto responded by saying, “Well, we’re just gonna have to kill the bitch.” Loretto said, “I’ll mug the bitch and I’ll take her keys and everything, but you and Jason are gonna have to kill her.” Bustos and Alexander laughed and said, “We ain’t. . . killing nobody.”
When the victim entered the restroom, Loretto said, “There it is. Let’s do it.” Bustos said “What are we gonna do?” Loretto said “I’m gonna mug the bitch and you guys do it.” As Bustos and Alexander watched, Loretto followed the victim into the restroom. After about 20 seconds, the victim was screaming and Loretto was saying, “Hurry up, hurry up.” Alexander pointed out the knife, a long-bladed Mexican knife with designs in the handle, which Alexander had brought along. Bustos grabbed the knife and ran in. Loretto was on the floor struggling with the victim and had his hands around her head. He told Bustos, “Do it, do it, do it.” Bustos stabbed the victim twice, in the chest and side. Loretto grabbed the victim’s purse and keys, and they fled in the car.
Loretto’s Confession
Loretto was aware of and had seen the knife which Alexander had brought. They were “using it for protection in case anything would happen because we were just country boys in the city.” It was a hunting knife about six inches long with Aztec drawings on it.
They “needed to find a way to get back home to New Mexico from California, and we had no money, and we were hungry, and we needed to find a way back.” The victim had a car, and “we just needed to get, find a way home, we had seen her and the beach was empty pretty much.” “[T]he reason we selected her is because we knew which car she got out of.”
When he saw her go into the restroom, Loretto followed. Bustos was outside, “getting ready to run in.” Loretto hit her in the face, and she fell to the floor. Loretto took her purse and she screamed. Bustos ran in and stabbed her twice, once below the ribs and once in the chest, above the heart.
Reckless Indifference to Human Life
In light of the evidence and the trial court’s findings, the record shows that the actual killer was Bustos, not Loretto. In order to support a finding of special circumstances murder, based on murder committed in the course of designated felonies, against an aider and abettor who is not the actual killer, the prosecution must show either that the aider and abettor had intent to kill (§ 190.2, subd. (c)) or acted with reckless indifference to human life while acting as a major participant in the underlying felony. (§ 190.2, subd. (d).) Section 190.2, subdivision (d), provides: “Notwithstanding subdivision (c), every person not the actual killer, who, with reckless indifference to human life and as a major participant, aids, abets, counsels, commands, induces, solicits, requests, or assists in the commission of a felony enumerated in paragraph (17) of subdivision (a), which felony results in the death of some person or persons, who is found guilty of murder in the first degree therefor, shall suffer death or confinement in state prison for life without the possibility of parole, in any case in which a special circumstance enumerated in paragraph (17) of subdivision (a) of this section has been found to be true under Section 190.4.”
Subdivision (d) was added by Proposition 115 in order to bring the death penalty statute into conformity with
Tison
v.
Arizona
(1987)
Here, the prosecution did not attempt to prove, in Loretto’s separate trial, that Loretto had actual intent to kill, The People contended, and the
When the sufficiency of evidence is attacked, the appellate court must view the evidence in the light most favorable to the judgment, presuming the existence of every fact the trier of fact could reasonably deduce from the evidence. Even if the evidence might reasonably be reconciled with the defendant’s innocence, the appellate court may not substitute its judgment for the trier’s. The test on appeal is whether any rational trier of fact could find the defendant guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
(People
v.
Barnes
(1986)
Loretto admitted planning the robbery with Bustos and Alexander, in that “we needed to find a way to get back home” and “we selected her because we knew which car she got out of.” Loretto admitted knowing about and having seen the knife, saying “we were using it for protection.” Loretto admitted going into the restroom to rob the victim and that Bustos was outside, “getting ready to run in.” Loretto admitted hitting the victim, whereupon she fell to the floor. He admitted it was a “couple of minutes” before Bustos ran in with the knife. The court could reasonably infer from Loretto’s admissions and other evidence that Loretto was engaged in a struggle with a resisting victim. Loretto admitted she screamed; the scene inside the restroom indicated a struggle. Loretto stated that Bustos ran in, and Loretto saw Bustos stab the victim twice, below the ribs and in the chest. Loretto did not claim in his statement that he was surprised Bustos had the knife or surprised Bustos stabbed the victim. Loretto did not claim that he attempted to prevent Bustos from stabbing the victim. Loretto fled together with his accomplices and the robbery loot, leaving the victim to die. (See
Tison
v.
Arizona, supra,
Great Bodily Injury
Loretto next contends that the evidence is insufficient to support the finding against him under section 1203.075, subdivision (a)(1) and (a)(2), which prohibit probation for any person who, in the commission of murder or robbery, “with the intent to inflict the injury, personally inflicts great bodily injury.” It was Bustos who inflicted the stab wounds; Loretto contends that tile injuries Loretto inflicted were not sufficiently serious to constitute great bodily injury.
Loretto admitted striking the victim in the head, on the face, knocking her to the floor. The evidence reasonably implies he struggled with her on the floor. A broken fingernail, as well as broken earrings, was found on the floor. The autopsy report showed, in addition to the two fatal stab wounds, “II. Contusions—nose, left elbow and left thigh. III. Lacerations—left upper lip. IV. Abrasions—right elbow, left knee and anus.”
Section 1203.075, subdivision (b)(3), adopts the definition of great bodily injury in section 12022.7. Section 12022.7, subdivision (d), defines great bodily injury as “a significant or substantial physical injury.” This definition does not require that the victim suffer “ ‘permanent,’ ‘prolonged,’ or ‘protracted’ disfigurement, impairment, or loss of bodily function.”
(People
v.
Escobar
(1992)
Youth Authority Diagnostic Study
Bustos was 16 years, 9 months old when he committed the crimes. Loretto was 17 years, 4 months old when he committed the crimes.
This statute imposes a mandatory duty on the trial court to obtain a Youth Authority diagnostic study
before
sentencing to state prison a person who was under the age of 18 at the time of the offense. The statute is clear and has long received authoritative construction.
(In re Jeanice D.
(1980)
Prior to Proposition 115, a person under the age of 18 at the commission of the offense could not be subjected to the death penalty or a sentence of life imprisonment without possibility of parole. (Former § 190.5, now subd. (a) thereof;
People
v.
Spears
(1983)
Section 190.5 gives a trial court discretion to choose a sentence of 25 years to life rather than life without possibility of parole. It has long been the law that a statutory punishment of imprisonment for 25 years to life does not render a youth ineligible for commitment to the Youth Authority. The California Supreme Court has for many years consistently interpreted Welfare and Institutions Code section 1731.5
6
to permit commitment to the Youth Authority for a crime with a statutory punishment such as 25 years to life, as distinguished from a so-called “straight life” sentence.
(People
v.
Ralph
(1944)
In re Jeanice D., supra,
We hold that the rule of
Jeanice D.
is not changed by the enactment of section 190.5 by Proposition 115. The authorized punishment, rather than the nature of the offense, is controlling.
(In re Jeanice D., supra,
The convictions of both Bustos and Loretto of first degree murder with special circumstances therefore did not render them ineligible for Youth Authority commitment, and the court was required by Welfare and Institutions Code section 707.2 to obtain a diagnostic study from the Youth Authority before sentencing appellants to state prison.
Such a study not only could assist the court as to the choice of a Youth Authority commitment. Even if the court rejects a Youth Authority commitment, a diagnostic study with the expertise of the Youth Authority might assist the court’s choice between life without parole or 25 years to life. Additionally, the study might assist the court’s exercise of its discretion under Welfare and Institutions Code section 1731.5, subdivision (c), to order one or both appellants
housed
at the Youth Authority while otherwise committed to the Department of Corrections.
7
(People
v.
Marsh, supra,
We therefore remand this matter as to both Bustos and Loretto with instructions that the trial court obtain a diagnostic study from the Youth
Disposition
The sentences are vacated. The trial court is directed to refer appellants to the Youth Authority for diagnostic study as required by Welfare and Institutions Code section 707.2 and thereafter exercise its discretion in resentencing appellants. In all other respects, the judgments are affirmed.
Woods (A. M.), P. J., and Klein (Brett), J., * concurred.
Notes
All statutory references are to the Penal Code unless otherwise indicated.
The court and prosecutor recognized that Bustos’s statements were not admissible against Loretto.
In response to
People
v.
Purcell
(1993)
This contention has little practical significance for Loretto in light of the fact that he was not sentenced to death or to life without the possibility of parole. Because of his youth and the exercise of the trial court’s discretion pursuant to section 190.5, subdivision (b) (discussed post), Loretto received a sentence of 25 years to life, the same sentence to which he would be subject for first degree murder even if the special circumstance finding were stricken. (§ 190, subd. (a).) We nevertheless address the issue on the theory that if the evidence were truly insufficient as Loretto contends, he would be entitled to have the special circumstance stricken and be treated as an “ordinary” first degree murderer.
Section 190.5, as enacted by Proposition 115, provides in full: “(a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the death penalty shall not be imposed upon any person who is under the age of 18 at the time of the commission of the crime. The burden of proof as to the age of such person shall be upon the defendant.
“(b) The penalty for a defendant found guilty of murder in the first degree, in any case in which one or more special circumstances enumerated in Section 190.2 or 190.25 has been found to be true under Section 190.4, who was 16 years of age or older and under the age of 18 years at the time of the commission of the crime, shall be confinement in the state prison for life without the possibility of parole or, at the discretion of the court, 25 years to life.
“(c) The trier of fact shall determine the existence of any special circumstance pursuant to the procedure set forth in Section 190.4.”
Welfare and Institutions Code section 1731.5, subdivision (a) provides in pertinent part: “[A] court may commit to the authority any person convicted of a public offense who ... [1] (1) Is found to be less than 21 years of age at the time of apprehension; [1] (2) Is not convicted of first degree murder, committed when that person was 18 years of age or older, or sentenced to death, imprisonment for life . . . .”
Welfare and Institutions Code section 1731.5, subdivision (c) provides: “(c) Any person under the age of 21 years who is not committed to the authority pursuant to this section may be transferred to the authority by the Director of Corrections with the approval of the Director of the Youth Authority. In sentencing a person under the age of 21 years, the court may order that the person shall be transferred to the custody of the Youth Authority pursuant to this subdivision. When the court makes such an order and the Youth Authority fails to accept custody of the person, the person shall be returned to court for resentencing. The transfer shall be solely for the purposes of housing the inmate, allowing participation in the programs available at the institution by the inmate, and allowing Youth Authority parole supervision of the inmate, who, in all other aspects shall be deemed to be committed to the Department of Corrections and shall remain subject to the jurisdiction of the Director of Corrections and the Board of Prison Terms. Notwithstanding subdivision (b) of Section 2900 of the Penal Code, the Director of the Department of Corrections, with the concurrence of the Director of the Youth Authority, may designate a facility under the jurisdiction of the Director of the Youth Authority as a place of reception for any person described in this subdivision.”
Part of the rationale of Marsh is that a diagnostic study might also persuade the court to exercise discretion under section 1385 to strike allegations which would otherwise render a defendant ineligible for Youth Authority commitment. (People v. Marsh, supra, 36 Cal.3d at pp. 142-143.) That part of Marsh’s rationale is inapplicable to special circumstances murder because Proposition 115 also enacted section 1385.1, which provides: “Notwithstanding Section 1385 or any other provision of law, a judge shall not strike or dismiss any special circumstance which is admitted by a plea of guilty or nolo contendere or is found by a jury or court as provided in Sections 190.1 to 190.5, inclusive.” Section 1385.1 does not assist the People’s argument here, however, because under our interpretation of section 190.5, appellants were eligible for possible Youth Authority commitment even with the findings of special circumstances intact.
Judge of the Municipal Court for the Los Angeles Judicial District sitting under assignment by the Chairperson of the Judicial Council.
