Crime & Safety
85 Years to Life for Lemon Grove Man Convicted of 2009 Murder
Christopher A. Sanchez, 21, was found guilty in March for the shooting death of Marcella Peraza.
A Lemon Grove man convicted of first-degree murder was sentenced Friday morning to 85 years to life in state prison for the 2009 shooting death of Marcella Peraza.
According to police, on the night of March 6, 2009, Christopher A. Sanchez, 21, left a party in Encanto after getting into a fight. He returned to the home in the 6800 block of Brooklyn Avenue at about 2:30 a.m. and opened fire on a crowd outside the residence. Peraza, 21, died at a hospital. A 26-year-old man was wounded.
Sanchez fled to Mexico, but was taken into custody in late June 2009 as he walked through a Tijuana neighborhood, apparently where he had been living.
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According to Deputy District Attorney Christine Israel, the defendant was not a documented gang member, but there are photos of him with people who are in gangs.
In March, a jury found Sanchez guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder and firing into an occupied vehicle.
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City News Service contributed to this report.
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