Latino gang member gets life in prison for his part in the 2008 killing of a black man outside a bowling alley

25-year-old Latino gang member convicted in the racially motivated gang murder of a black Canoga Park bowl­ing alley employee has been sen­tenced to life in pri­son with­out pa­role.

Mar­tin Sotelo, a member of the Canoga Park Al­abama gang, was sen­tenced Thursday for the fa­tal drive-by shooting of James Shamp. Van Nuys Supe­rior Court Judge Mar­tin Herscovitz also or­dered Sotelo to pay $15,916 in restitution for the burial of his victim and mental health costs of the victim's fam­ily.

A ju­ry in April found Sotelo guilty of first-degree murder with two special circum­stance al­legations, murder because of the victim's race and murder in a drive-by shooting. He was the last of four defen­dants to face charges in the case.

He was also found guilty on oth­er al­legations, including evading offi­cers af­ter the shooting and sec­ond-degree rob­bery related to a sep­a­rate in­cident. The additional charges resulted in a sen­tence of 40 years to life.

Sotelo's lawyers maintained that their client har­bored no prej­u­dice against blacks and had no in­tention of committing a hate killing on Dec. 22, 2008, the night of the shooting. But pros­ecutors said Sotelo was seeking bragging rights and trying to live up to his gang moniker, "Out­law," when he willfully partic­ipated in the murder.

Shamp, 48, a married fa­ther of two, was taking out the trash at the Canoga Bowl when Latino gang members pulled up in a car and fired the shots, pros­ecutors said. Sotelo was behind the wheel.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Daniel Akemon of the Hardcore Gang Divi­sion said Sotelo helped fel­low gang member Richard Bor­de­lon gun down Shamp "in cold blood because of the col­or of his skin,        in a display of sense­less vio­lence and a complete disregard for human life."

Akemon argued that Sotelo had stopped the vehicle so Bor­de­lon could take aim like a sniper. Bor­de­lon's bul­let struck Shamp "right through the heart," Akemon said.

In March 2010, Herscovitz sen­tenced Bor­de­lon to life in pri­son with­out the pos­sibility of pa­role, plus 47 years to life, af­ter he admitted be­ing the gunman. Bor­de­lon was also or­dered to pay $14,386 in restitution. A juve­nile defen­dant, 15 at the time, also reached a deal with pros­ecutors and was sen­tenced on a juve­nile con­spir­acy charge.

A third defen­dant, Or­lando Perez, a 25-year-old Latino, pleaded no con­test to a charge of accessory af­ter the fact to murder and was sen­tenced to three years and four months in state pri­son.

Akemon told ju­rors in clos­ing argu­ments earli­er this week that Sotelo and Bor­de­lon were out that December evening looking to earn their respective nicknames of "Out­law" and "Psycho."

 

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