On March 10, 2008 a jury convicted Jose Alfonso Leyva, 36, from Ivanhoe for the First Degree Murder of Julian Reyes, 30, also of Ivanhoe. Additionally, the jury found to be true the special allegation that the murder was committed by the discharging of a firearm causing Julian Reyes’ death.

On January 15, 2004, Julian Reyes was visiting his friend at his friend’s house on Road 158 in Ivanhoe. Evidence in the trial established that at about ten o’clock that evening, Defendant approached the house and asked others nearby to get Mr. Reyes to step outside because Mr. Reyes had been spreading rumors that the Defendant had robbed Mr. Reyes’ father. Evidence was presented that The Defendant was known to extort money from Mr. Reyes’ father. The Defendant and Mr. Reyes engaged in a short argument at which time the Defendant pulled a gun out of his waistband and told Mr. Reyes to “prepare to die” and fired one shot, execution-style, at Mr. Reyes’ head. The Defendant threatened the others standing nearby that, “No one saw nothing.”

Detectives from the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department (“TCSO”) investigated the case. Initially, the witnesses declined to identify the shooter. However, during questioning of Mr. Reyes’ friend, the friend identified the Defendant by his nickname and that he was originally from Salinas. With that information, TCSO detectives were able to obtain the Defendant’s real name and issued a warrant for his arrest. In April of 2007, pursuant to the arrest warrant, the Defendant was arrested by U.S. Marshals in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Defendant was brought to jury trial on February 25, 2008.

Defendant Leyva is scheduled to be sentenced by the Honorable Judge Joseph A. Kalashian on April 7, 2008. As convicted, Defendant Leyva is facing 80 years to Life in Prison.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Mitch Niayesh along with TCSO Sergeant Gary Hunt and Investigator Frank Arnold from the District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigations.
 

Contact Person:
Don H. Gallian, Assistant District Attorney (559) 733-6411
Mitch Niayesh, Deputy District Attorney