Laguna Beach Handyman Who Shot His Neighbor Acquitted

SANTA ANA, CA — A 50-year-old Orange County man was acquitted Tuesday of attempted murder in the shooting of a neighbor he sparred with over trash cans and parking.

Jose Luisvallad Trujillo, who has been in custody since his arrest in January 2018, was acquitted of attempted murder and a lesser charge jurors considered, attempted voluntary manslaughter. He was also facing sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a firearm, inflicting great bodily injury and discharge of a firearm causing great bodily injury.

Trujillo is a handyman in Laguna Beach, and his clients in the city pitched in to cover his defense, according to his attorney Michael Molfetta said.

"He's a handyman for two families in Laguna Beach and they paid for me," Molfetta said. "He's just a good guy."

Jurors deliberated for about four hours before reaching verdicts, Molfetta said.

The shooting happened at about 7:20 a.m. Jan. 12, 2018, in the 2100 block of South Orange Avenue in Santa Ana.

Molfetta argued his client acted in self-defense.

Trujillo had an ongoing conflict with Christian Cuellar over the placement of trash cans and parking, Deputy District Attorney Neal Albright said in court papers.

Cuellar lived with his mother in the front house at 2114 S. Orange Ave. and the defendant lived in a back home at 2116 S. Orange Ave., Albright said.

Trujillo was getting ready to drive with his girlfriend and two children to school when the two got into a conflict over a trash can, Albright said.

Trujillo grabbed a hatchet and swung it at Cuellar, breaking his elbow, and then went into his home, emerged with an AK-47 and shot Cuellar in the leg, Albright said. Trujillo ordered his girlfriend and the two children out of the car and drove away, Albright said.

Trujillo told police that his neighbor had previously touted an association with a street gang and had threatened him, Albright said. He also said that a week earlier, Cuellar waved a gun at him and on that morning had made a motion with his hand miming a gun pointing at the defendant, Albright said.

Molfetta said his client purposely shot Cuellar in the leg to avoid killing him.

"He purposely put one in his leg to stop him from advancing," Molfetta said.

Cuellar "is a complete waste of human skin. He was just a bad guy, harassing my guy," Molfetta said.

In the past he "threw a knife at my client, showed a gun to my client," Molfetta said. "And he threatened to shoot his kids with a motion of his hand."

The defense attorney said one of the police investigators testified during the trial that he had never heard about the allegation of gang affiliation for the alleged victim.

"Law enforcement did absolutely nothing to look into if this kid was in MS-13," Molfetta said. "They made a determination at the time and their narrative never swayed."

Molfetta questioned Cuellar about a tattoo on his arm that read "La Vida Loco," he said.

"He said he just likes Ricky Martin," Molfetta said. "I said name another song of his and he couldn't do it ... The verdict speaks for itself."

Trujillo was "very, very emotional" when the verdict was announced, Molfetta said.

City News Service