A Los Angeles man convicted of shooting a 17-year-old boy in Gardena after mistaking him for a rival gang member was sentenced Wednesday, Aug. 2, to 52 years to life in state prison.
Marcos Medina, 24, kept his head straight ahead and appeared to roll his eyes after Judge Laura C. Ellison characterized the killing of David Amaro-Poblano in February 2019 as “cold-blooded,” in Torrance Superior Court.
Jurors convicted Medina in June of first-degree murder and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Amaro-Poblano was an honor-roll student who loved playing soccer and was months away from graduating from Environmental Charter High School in Lawndale when he was gunned down by Medina near 146th Street and Halldale Avenue.
The teenager, his mother and his girlfriend had been running errands to prepare for his younger sister’s birthday party. He was standing on the sidewalk outside his aunt’s house as his mother delivered an invitation. His girlfriend stayed in the car.
That’s when Medina and a second suspect pulled up in a car, prosecutors said during trial. Medina got out of the car, took three steps and fired nine shots at Amaro-Poblano, striking him once in the back.
Amaro-Poblano attempted to run back to his mother’s car, but he collapsed. He died at a hospital.
“For me and for my kids, it’s so hard without him,” Amaro-Pablano’s mother, Idalia Poblano-Reyes said in court Wednesday. “We was a good kid, he didn’t go out to look for trouble…..I miss him a lot.”
During trial, Poblano-Reyes testified that her son had plans to go to Cal State University, Dominguez Hills, to remain close with his mom and his siblings.
Medina’s attorney, Daniel Melnick, argued for leniency in the sentencing and claimed that Medina was also family oriented. He pointed out that family members of Medina had showed up to court to support him throughout proceedings.
“He took a wrong turn here,” Melnick said.
However, Ellison disagreed and said…
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