DATE:  October 15, 2019

CASE:  Julian Garcia & German Zamora-Canada (Case #16FE021333)

PROSECUTOR:  Deputy District Attorney Jeff Hightower, Homicide Unit

The Honorable Ernest Sawtelle sentenced Julian Garcia to 149 years to life in prison and German Zamora-Canada to 99 years to life in prison.  On September 17, 2019, a jury convicted Garcia of the first-degree murder of Cesar Aleman-Luna, two counts of attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.   Zamora-Canada was convicted of the second-degree murder of Cesar Aleman-Luna, attempted murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.  The jury also found true firearm allegations for both defendants.

On October 9, 2016, Julian Garcia and German Zamora-Canada got into an altercation with the surviving victims after a concert at La Nueva Tropicana nightclub on Arden Way.  Garcia and Zamora-Canada pulled out guns and opened fire, striking three victims.  Those victims survived, but suffered major injuries.  Cesar Aleman-Luna was working at a taco truck outside the nightclub when he was also struck five times, killing him.

Both Garcia and Zamora-Canada have a prior strike conviction and both were sentenced under California’s three strikes law. Garcia was previously convicted of assault with a firearm in 2010 and Zamora-Canada was previously convicted of robbery in 2012.