2 Plead Guilty to Murder in Robbery at Teller Machine

Two men pleaded guilty Friday to killing a man while robbing him at an automatic teller machine earlier this year in Northridge.

In exchange for the pleas, prosecutors agreed not to seek the death penalty for Elisaia Reupena, 27, of Sherman Oaks, and Steven B. Rice, 19, of Granada Hills. Under terms of the agreement, they are to receive life sentences with the possibility of parole.

In addition to admitting their guilt to the first-degree murder charges, the men implicated a third defendant who was charged with the crime but declined to plead guilty.

Reupena and Rice pleaded guilty to the March 21 murder of Aslam Hasham, 29, of Canoga Park at a Coast Savings teller machine at Tampa Avenue and Nordhoff Street.

Unusual Scene

In an unusual scene during plea proceedings, the defendants were sworn in and asked to give testimony. Deputy Dist. Atty. Harold S. Lynn asked Reupena to describe what happened during the robbery and killing.

Reupena replied: “I went over to the teller, and I saw a guy at the teller. I walked up with a gun, and I and the guy ended up wrestling for the gun, and the gun was fired. It fired twice. One of the bullets hit me in the leg, and the other one accidentally hit him in the chest.”

Lynn was trying to elicit from Reupena an identification of Marty L. Mares, 20, of Granada Hills, the third man charged in the case. San Fernando Municipal Court Judge Gregg Marcus allowed and participated in the questioning over the objections of Mares’ lawyer, Wayne R. Brandow.

Asked whether anyone was with him at the time of the killing, Reupena mumbled, “Marty and Steve.”

Mares then was brought into the courtroom and seated behind Reupena, who was asked if Marty was in the courtroom. Without turning around, Reupena made a quick pointing motion toward Mares.

Longtime Friends

But when Lynn specifically asked Reupena whether anyone else was involved in planning and committing the crime, Reupena shook his head and said no. Investigators have described Rice, Mares and Reupena as longtime friends.

A few minutes later, Reupena and Rice said they had told the truth during tape-recorded interviews with police after their arrests. Lynn did not ask them to discuss what they said during those interviews, but Reupena’s lawyer Alan Budde said in court that they had implicated Mares.

Mares declined to accept the prosecutors’ offer regarding a guilty plea on terms similar to those for Rice and Reupena, Marcus said. Mares’ lawyer, Brandow, would not comment on the proceedings.

Lynn was unavailable for comment afterward.

If Mares eventually goes to trial, Reupena and Rice’s statements in court Friday could be used against Mares or to discredit Reupena or Rice if either were to testify that Mares was not involved in the crimes, said Dennis E. Mulcahy, Rice’s lawyer.

They are scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 8 in San Fernando Superior Court.