Jesus Quevado, the alleged West Park gang member who was featured in the December 2011 Sun cover story “Walking the Line,” was found guilty in a Santa Maria jury trial of committing a series of armed robberies and burglaries in the fall of 2010 in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties.
Quevado claimed that the Santa Maria Police Department used a ruse affidavit—a search warrant obtained under questionable circumstances—to incriminate him in several unsolved robberies.
Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Kay Kuns found in a preliminary hearing that there was police misconduct in the investigation. In response, the District Attorney’s Office filed an affidavit of prejudice against Kuns and the case moved to trial under Santa Barbara County Superior Court Judge Edward Bullard. Bullard didn’t allow Quevado’s lawyer, David Bixby, to use the ruse affidavit as part of the defense in court.
The jury found that all of Quevado’s crimes were committed for the benefit of a criminal street gang. Additionally, Bullard found that Quevado had two 2005 convictions for robbery and assault with a firearm.
He faces life in prison. His sentencing is set for Jan. 31, 2013.
In an interview with the Sun, Bixby said he plans to file a notice of appeal based on the allegations of police misconduct.
This article appears in Dec 6-13, 2012.