Luis Alonzo Mendoza and Lorenzo Inez Arias Jurors had a choice between choosing death or life in prison without the possibility of parole for the pair

verdicts for defendants Luis Alonzo Mendoza and Lorenzo Inez Arias were read aloud about 11:30 a.m. in San Bernardino Superior Court.Jurors had a choice between choosing death or life in prison without the possibility of parole for the pair.
Mendoza, 32, and Arias, 29, were part of a four-man crew who fired gunshots and killed four men and wounded two others at a West Vine Street duplex in July 2000, according to San Bernardino police.
"I believe that these two individuals are truly the worst of the worst," said Deputy District Attorney Cheryl Kersey, who prosecuted the case.
"This is the appropriate punishment under the law," she said. The two men are scheduled to return to court Sept. 10 for motions and sentencing.
Authorities say the defendants had targeted street gang president Johnny Agudo for control of the gang and because he had given information to police about another gang member. Defense attorney Julian Ducre, who represented Arias with attorney Dean Pic'l, said few words after the court proceedings. "I'm disappointed with the verdicts," said Ducre, who declined to elaborate.
Mendoza's attorney, Richard Crouter, could not be reached for comment. In addition to 33-year-old Johnny Agudo, other victims included his brother
Gilbert Agudo, 27; Anthony Daniel Luna, 23; and Luna's half-brother, Marselino Gregory Luna, 19. After the proceedings, jurors met in a courthouse hallway and thanked prosecutors and detectives. Photographs of the victims and their gunshot wounds showed jurors how the shooting occurred, members of the jury said. Jurors also said the visit to the crime scene was crucial. A female juror said she was glad the trial and deliberations were over, but that they were necessary.
"I don't feel good about it," the juror said. "There were moments when I cried."
Because the Agudo brothers were presidents of two local street gangs, some in law-enforcement have dubbed the case "Dead Presidents."
Another defendant in the case, John Adrian Ramirez, 34, recently took a plea bargain. A fourth man, Froylan Chiprez, 33, remains a fugitive.