Gang Member Convicted Of Murdering Man In Watsonville Target Lot

WATSONVILLE, CA — A known Norteno gang member was convicted Friday of murdering a man in the busy parking lot of a Watsonville Target in 2011, according to the Santa Cruz District Attorney's Office. A jury convicted Cesar Rosales, 25, of a first-degree murder charge for shooting Gustavo Diaz Zaragoza, 19, in the Target parking lot at 1415 Main St. on July 23, 2011. Rosales faces life in prison, prosecutors said.

According to prosecutors, Rosales thought Zaragoza was a rival gang member. Zaragoza, a migrant farm worker from Oaxaca, Mexico, was shopping at the store with his cousins when he was shot - along with one of
his cousins. Zaragoza suffered one gunshot wound and died at the scene while his cousin was seriously injured.

Prosecutors said Rosales fled to Mexico after the murder. The case went cold for two years until Rosales was apprehended on July 24, 2013.

"The District Attorney's Office is committed to pursuing justice for victims of crime, regardless of their immigration or socio-economic status," District Attorney Jeff Rosell said in a statement. "We will use the
full resources of the District Attorney's Office to hold violent offenders accountable for their actions, no matter how many years have passed."

By Bay City News

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