Salinas couple sentenced for role in homicide
UPDATE: 1/17/2018 2:13 p.m. A Salinas couple was sentenced for their role in the beating, kidnapping, and death of Ronnie Cronn Jr.
47-year-old Jeffrey Madruga was sentenced to 30 years in prison while Julie McClure got 25 years in prison.
The victim, Cronn Jr. went missing in May of 2016. He was beaten and taken to another location where he was killed. His body was disposed of in a remote area of Chualar.
“Parts of his body were recovered in a remote area of Chualar in September 2016,” said the DA’s office.
Madruga and McClure both admitted their role in the brutal murder and helped law enforecment late Cronn’s remains.
The District Attorney said “When Sheriff’s deputies were investigating the case, they discovered a meth lab and various stolen vehicles at Madruga and McClure’s home and storage unit.”
Paulo Barcenas who was also involved in the homicide was previously sent to prison for more than 50 years.
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Salinas resident, Paulo Barcenas, entered a guilty plea for beating, kidnapping and killing Ronnie Cronn Jr. and for shooting at the Monterey County Sheriff’s SWAT team.
Ronnie Cronn Jr. went missing in May of 2016. Cronn Jr. was beaten and taken to another location where he was killed. His body was disposed of in a remote area of Monterey County. Parts of his body were recovered in Chualar, September 2016.
Jeffrey Madruga and Julie McClure have also been charged with the murder of Cronn Jr.
Anyone with information should call Monterey County Sheriff Detective Nicholas Kennedy at (831) 759-7201.
On October 15, 2016, Barcenas barricaded himself inside the Casa Verde Inn in Monterey. Members of SWAT attempted to serve a search warrant on his room. Barcenas would not come out of the hotel. Barcenas shot at the deputies as they attempted to enter the room.
SWAT deployed a robot to enter the hotel room. Barcenas fired his weapon again towards SWAT team. The stand-off lasted several hours, and Barcenas was shot once in the chest by a SWAT team member.
Barcenas was hospitalized for about two months before being transferred to the Monterey County Jail.
Barcenas will receive a sentence of 51 years and 4 months in prison.
