Man sentenced for 2011 murder at local Taco Bell
The Daily Sentinel
By SAM KLOMHAUS Sam.Klomhaus@gjsentinel.com
Jaime Cardenas, who was 19 at the time of the crime spree and is now 32, apologized to the family of the victim, 31-year-old Jorge Alberto Carrasco.
“I’m sorry for the trauma I caused and the lasting effects on their lives,” Cardenas said.
Several of Carrasco's family members spoke at the sentencing, describing the pain they had felt during the past 12 years.
“Each and every one of us would give anything to get one more hug, to hear his voice,” Carrasco's son, Isaiah Carrasco, said.
Jorge Carrasco and two friends were eating dinner outside the Taco Bell on July 16, 2011, when Cardenas and three other people pulled up. Police believe Cardenas and another man, Fidel Silva, opened fire on the three people after mistaking Carrasco for a rival gang member.
Carrasco was killed and both his friends were injured in the shooting, which authorities have said was the culmination of a crime spree that involved two armed robberies and a burglary.
Police believe four people were involved in the crime spree. Of those, Silva is still at large, Christian Fuentes was sentenced to 72 years in prison and Lester Miranda-Davis was sentenced to 24 years in prison, but was granted a reconsideration after agreeing to testify against Cardenas in order to help authorities extradite Cardenas from Mexico.
Police also believe Cardenas and Silva were involved in two other murders in East Palo Alto, California, where Carrasco, Silva and Fuentes are from.
Cardenas was extradited to the U.S. in 2019 after spending several years incarcerated in Mexico.
Cardenas said he is no longer the person who committed the crimes and now understands his actions were wrong.
“I understand my actions were reckless and endangered all the people that were at Taco Bell that day,” Cardenas said.
Cardenas' attorney said Cardenas experienced a violent childhood and also has severe mental health issues, leading him down the path to the crime spree.
Cardenas was declared incompetent to stand trial several times during the court process because of those mental health issues and a severe head injury sustained during a car crash in Mexico, according to his attorney.
The defense also said Silva was the driving force behind the shooting, and either coerced or threatened Cardenas into participating.
Judge Richard Gurley said those things don't justify the "senseless acts at the Taco Bell."
“I try to understand it, try to weigh those acts when considering the mitigation presented to the court regarding Mr. Cardenas, but it’s hard to find substantial mitigation the court can attach to its analysis of this case,” Gurley said.
Cardenas pleaded guilty to second degree murder and first degree assault, both with crime of violence sentence enhancers, in August. The plea agreement stipulated a sentencing range of 50-76 years.
Cardenas said he will try to be a better person while in prison.
“I will regret getting out of the vehicle at Taco Bell for the rest of my life,” Cardenas said.
