Monterey County DA issues a correction on murder suspect’s prior sentencing
SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV) Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni issued a corrective statement saying Gonzalo Echeverria — who is accused of killing a Salinas couple — was previously sentenced to five years and eight months as a second striker.
Echeverria — a convicted felon — was arrested earlier this week for the Feb. 5 murder of Jesus Arias Villa, 22, and Karina Chavez Vargas, 23.
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In an interview with KION, Pacioni previously said the parole board released Echeverria after serving just two years of an eight-year and four-month sentence. On Thursday, the DA's office issued a statement clarifying that Echeverria was originally sentenced to a five-year and eight-month sentence, and was released eight months early.
Pacioni maintains that "these tragic murders might have been avoided except for an unthinking, soft-on-crime attitude by our California executive branch and CDCR."
Pacioni's statement goes on to say:
"CDCR said yesterday that 'according to California law, Echeverria was eligible for day-for-day 50% credits.' What CDCR meant was they changed the law themselves, pursuant to direction from the Governor in his 2020-21 Budget Summary, to give inmates with strike priors the same credits as inmates without them. Before the change, CDCR inmates with strike priors earned only 33% conduct credits. Therefore, CDCR unilaterally and without public input changed the sentences defendants serve under the three-strikes law. They also created additional ways for inmates to obtain an early release."
"Because of CDCR’s changes, they released Echeverria 8 months early, 4 months due to changed credits for strikers and because they awarded him another 4 months according to their statement yesterday," Pacioni's statement reads.
A statement obtained by KION from CDCR says, "Echeverria’s release date was identified as Sept. 30, 2021, but under emergency COVID-19 measures for eligible incarcerated persons with 180 days or left to serve, his release date was expedited to May 25, 2021. Echeverria’s sentence did not require a Board of Parole Hearings suitability hearing."
Second strikers have previous felony convictions when sentenced.
Towards the end of April 2021, CDCR passed a Good Conduct Credit program claiming it was an emergency and that the changes were necessary to comply with "the direction outlined in the Governor's Budget Summary" that was released in May 2020.
Forty-four of the state’s 58 district attorneys, including Pacioni, sued the state in May 2020 attempting to block those emergency rules.
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The Monterey County Sheriff's Office said Echeverria was deported back to his native El Salvador on June 18 of 2021.
"Echeverria’s release didn’t benefit our criminal justice system and community as CDCR claimed. Had he served his sentence without these enhanced credits, he would have been in prison until about January 30, 2022. Once released he was deported, presumably to El Salvador. I think it is highly unlikely he could have made it back to the U.S. to commit these murders on February 5, if not for policy decisions by CDCR and the executive branch in Sacramento," said Pacioni.
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