By Andy Furillo
afurillo@sacbee.com
A Sacramento Superior Court jury today convicted Gabriel Ricardo Dominguez of first-degree murder in the May 1, 2009, stabbing death of Samuel Sanchez.
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The jury also convicted Dominguez (left in 2009 booking photo) of having a loaded handgun in his car at the time of the killing that police and prosecutors say was gang-related.
Dominguez, 19, faces at 25-to-life term at his scheduled Aug. 2 sentencing in front of Judge Cheryl Chun Meegan. He also could receive an added eight months on the gun charge.
Sanchez, 21, was killed in a brawl outside the Express Stop Liquor on Julliard Drive near the College Greens Shopping Center in the Folsom Boulevard-Florin-Perkins Road area.
Even though the jury convicted Dominguez of murder, it did not reach a verdicts on the special finding that he personally used a knife in Sanchez' death. Deputy District Attorney Sean Laird also had argued, however, that the jury could convict Dominguez of murder under the theory that the natural and probable consequences of his behavior on the day of the killing led to the death.
The panel also could not decide whether the killing took place for the benefit of a street gang. The gang enhancement would have added 10 years and the weapons allegation another year to Dominguez' term.
Judge Meegan declared a mistrial on the two special findings. She scheduled a hearing for July 2 for the district attorney to decide whether to retry the allegations.
Call The Bee's Andy Furillo, (916) 321-1141.
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