Found Deceased CA - John Holguin Espinoza, 88, Delano, 18 Sept 2013 *Arrest*

summer_breeze said:

http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.c...ead-in-canal-homicide-investigation-under-way

Friday, Sep 20 2013 08:03 AM

Short article at link.


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This news outlet is also reporting that Mr. Espinoza's death is being investigated as a homicide.

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margarita25 said:

Homicide Investigation?

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An 88-year-old Delano man suffered head trauma, had his wrists and legs bound and was wrapped in a child's blanket when he was found inside the trunk of his own car, which was submerged in the Friant-Kern Canal just outside the city limits in September 2013...

John Albay Galafate, 49, is the man who was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in August. According to court records, Galafate and his wife had moved in with their children at a home owned by Espinoza on Dover Place in 2013. Espinoza had difficulty collecting rent money and had gone to meet Galafate on Sept. 18, 2013. Espinoza had planned on evicting the Galafate family.

Espinoza's car was found hours later in the canal after a passing motorist reported seeing vehicle lights illuminating inside the canal.

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A Delano man was convicted Thursday of killing his landlord, an 88-year-old World War II veteran, after the landlord tried to evict him over unpaid rent.

John Galafate faces 25 years to life in prison in the September 2013 slaying of John Holguin Espinoza. Galafate beat and strangled Espinoza, placed his body in the trunk of a car and then sunk the vehicle in an irrigation canal, according to prosecutors.

After three days of deliberations, a Kern County jury found Galafate guilty of first-degree murder and felony elder abuse.

“I’m extremely pleased,” Deputy District Attorney Nicholas Lackie said of the jury’s verdicts in the two-week trial. “This is really the kind of case that I got into this line of work for.”

Lackie said he could die happy if he made as much of a positive impact in people’s lives as Espinoza did. More than two dozen friends and family of Espinoza attended the trial, and he heard numerous stories of the man’s kindness and generosity.

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John Holguin Espinoza was a patient landlord.

He let John Galafate slide for months when Galafate came up with repeated excuses as to why he couldn't pay the rent. Espinoza even bought groceries for Galafate and his family, and let him perform odd jobs to help pay off some of what he owed.

But eventually Espinoza became fed up. He told Galafate he was evicting him, and showed up on Sept. 18, 2013, to help him move out.

On that day, Galafate beat and strangled the 88-year-old, placed his body in the trunk of a car and later sunk the vehicle in an irrigation canal.

A Kern County judge on Wednesday sentenced Galafate to 25 years to life in prison. Galafate, 51, showed no reaction as Judge John Oglesby pronounced sentence.

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Espinoza's son, Andy Espinoza, said his father was in great health and should have had many years ahead of him. John Espinoza exercised, ate well, did line dancing, attended high school football games and even had a girlfriend, his son said.

In the 1960s, John Espinoza opened the first Mexican-American-owned barbershop in Delano, which he still ran at the time of his death. He gave free haircuts at nursing homes and to young men who couldn't afford to pay.

Andy Espinoza said his father offered friendship to everyone he met.

"Your honor, John Galafate silenced my father's voice forever, but not his memory," he told the court.

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