SAN DIEGO : Trial Begins in Drive-By Slaying

A Superior Court jury heard opening statements Monday in the trial of three young men who allegedly conspired to commit a drive-by shooting that killed an innocent bystander.

In his statement to the jury, Deputy Dist. Atty. David Greenberg said four men agreed to shoot at a car after the driver allegedly cut off their vehicle on Interstate 5. However, Greenberg claimed, a witness to the shooting was also shot because the gunman thought “he may have seen the license plate or a face.”

The jury is deciding the fate of Anthony William Trevino, 18, of Imperial Beach; Robert Windel Connelly, 20, of Imperial Beach, and Carlos Ernesto Gutierrez, 19, of Chula Vista.

They are being tried on murder and conspiracy charges stemming from the death of 41-year-old Alfredo Rodriguez, who was shot in the heart Dec. 2 as he stood outside his mobile home in Nestor.

A fourth defendant, Joseph Kinsey, 18, has pleaded guilty to shooting at an unoccupied car. He faces up to one year in custody at a sentencing hearing that will take place after the trial of his three co-defendants is over.

Greenberg said Kinsey will testify against the other three, as will a security guard at a San Ysidro outlet center who talked with the men before the shooting.

Greenberg and two defense attorneys gave opening statements in which they identified Trevino as the gunman who fired about a dozen rounds as they cruised through the Greenfield Mobile Home Park.