Crime & Safety
Max Sentence For Santa Rosa Man Convicted In Petaluma Murder
A Sonoma County jury found the man guilty of murdering his girlfriend's former partner.
SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Santa Rosa man was sentenced on Thursday to three years, plus 40-years-to-life in state prison, after being found guilty of murdering his girlfriend's former partner, Jesus Mendez Jr.
A Sonoma County jury found Lloban Martinez-Soto guilty of second-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to maximum time allowed under the law.
The Honorable Laura Passaglia, who oversaw the trial, concluded the sentencing hearing by addressing Martinez-Soto. She said his "selfish act out of pride" robbed the life of a beloved father, child and family member.
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"I hope that you spend the rest of your time in this world thinking about how you've affected other people," she said.
Deputies from the Sonoma County Sheriff's Department first responded to reports of a murder on Casa Grande Roade in Petaluma on Jan. 18, 2021.
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An investigation revealed that Martinez-Soto shot and killed Mendez out of jealously, since he was in a prior relationship with his girlfriend. On the same day of the murder, he also threatened his girlfriend with a firearm and sent threatening texts to Mendez, said deputies.
Martinez-Soto reportedly hid inside a Sonoma residence following the murder, which was also occupied by convicted felon Hiramu Kenyatta Bey, also known as Demond Battiest. A SWAT team eventually forced Martinez-Soto out of the home with chemical agents after attempting negotiation tactics for seven hours.
"This was a cold-blooded murder committed for no reason other than retribution for some perceived slight," District Attorney Carla Rodriguez said in a statement. "This lengthy prison sentence will do nothing to bring this victim back to his family. However, we hope that the family can find some peace knowing that the defendant has been held accountable by the jury and the court."
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