Testimony To Resume In Murder Trial Of Trio Accused Of Killing Woman

SAN DIEGO - Prosecution testimony is set to resume today in the trial for Pablo Victor Valadez, Jonnie Alexander Isaguirre and Amber Star Leal, who are accused in the killing of a South Bay woman whose body was found in a North County wooded area.

Alexandria Nicole Smith was allegedly suffocated inside her own car in October 2017 by Jonnie Alexander Isaguirre, 24, who had invited her to a party held in National City at the La Siesta Way house of Amber Star Suarez, 39, also known as Amber Leal.

"A witness quoted Pablo Victor Valadez, 37, as saying 'we’re going to have to kill her' after Suarez kicked her and tied her up. Isaguirre, Suarez, and Valadez are accused of murder with the special circumstances of murder during torture and during a robbery," the Star News reported.

According to the 2019 article by Star News, the motive appeared to be robbery as Suarez was trying to raise money for bail for a friend known as “Droopy.”

Valdez, Leal and Isaguirre are accused of stealing Smith’s car, purse, coat, phone, and other items.

Smith’s body—minus four fingers amputated after her death–was found Oct. 12, 2017 off Aruba Road, an unmaintained fire road not far from the Riverside County line, according to National City Detective Kenneth Springer. A Wal-Mart bag was found over her head.

Accounts of what transpired that night came from witnesses who were interviewed by Springer and former National City detective Leiderson Zeferino. During a November 2019 court hearing, witnesses testified that Smith was kidnapped, robbed, tied up, and later suffocated by the trio at the party.

Two others involved in the crime, Crystal Lopez Melendez, 35, and Maria Yvette Pereira, 28, both signed cooperation agreements with the District Attorney’s office.

Melendez has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and robbery and faces a prison term of 15 to 20 years to life. Pereira has pleaded guilty to robbery and faces a 5-year prison term. A murder charge was dismissed against Pereira, the star news reported.