By Randy Economywww.Economy4ABC.Blogspot.com
September 7, 2010
4:20 p.m.
Norwalk, CA
Joseph Mercado, the man law enforcement is convinced is responsible for going on a killing rampage in Hawaiian Gardens in May on Devlin Avenue, entered into a "not guilty plea" today in a Norwalk courtroom on three counts of Capital Murder.
Mercado, 26, from Montebello could face the "death penalty" if he is found guilty of the murders of his estranged girlfriend Serena Tarin, 23, her brother Alfredo Tarin, 21, and their father Alfredo Tarin, Sr.
Mercado was ordered to return to the Norwalk Superior Court on Oct. 13 to schedule his preliminary hearing, which is used to determine whether there is enough evidence to hold a trial. The case has been given local and national and worldwide media coverage.
I have been covering the details of this horrific case since it took place. Here are the facts of the case: (Source: Records from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department)
Time of the Incident:
4:10 a.m., Thursday, May 6, 2010
Those killed include:
- Serena Tarin, age 23
- Alfredo Tarin Jr., age 21 (brother of Serena)
- Alfredo Tarin Sr., age is reported as in his 50's (father of Serena and Alfredo)
- Lucy Tarin, (wife of Alfredo), age is reported as in her 50's. Suffered multiple gun shot wounds.
- Six additional members of the Tarin Family who all were injured after they jumped out of a second floor window.
- Joseph Mercado, 27, who is the ex-boyfriend of Serena Tarin and father of their minor daughter.
- Mercado was placed under arrest and was injured with a graze wound to his head after two patrol officers with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department opened fire on him after they arrived at the scene.
- Mercado also poured gasoline on an exterior wall but failed to light it with a match.
- Mercado was in a "domestic dispute" with the Serena Tarin.
- Mercado gained entry to the Tarin household by shooting a lock from a front door.
- Mercado used a "semi automatic" weapon in his rampage.
- Shootings took place in several rooms all over the Tarin household.
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6 comments:
This MAN truly is a DEVIL! I hope he gets the DEATH PENALTY! What an SOB!
is there any updates on his trail last thing i knew was that he had a hearing in november ? im anxious to know what was his faith in the state of california, because if this crime was commited here in texas i would have known his faith since the first day !
please keep us updated with his case!
I know this man very very well. He was a very good friend of mine. Yes what he did was very very very wrong and he deserves to be punished. But not death!! My opinion. None of you know him like i do. He isn't a horrible person..he is did a horrible thing. We write each other back and forth all the time. Some people just go crazy when it comes to there child and having them get taken away. None of them deserved to die. Joe went crazy that night! Something wasn't right with him. I know he wouldn't have done this in his right mind. Something happened to make him do this. He will and always be a great friend to me and still is. He stood up for me when my ex boyfriend tried to abuse me and hurt me badly. This is a tragic tragic thing!! And I pray for him and his family and the family that lost there family and his little boy who will never know who his dad is or mother! Very sad!!
I knew him very well also, him, serena and I went to the same school and basically all lived together for over a year. Yes I admit he is not a bad person but he deserves to pay for whahe he did to Serena and her family! I believe he should get 3 consecutive life sentences but also considerinf the death penalty! If this would have happened to you, you would want that man to die. I feel pitty towards Joseph but still feel he needs to suffer!!!!
'He should get 3 consecutive life sentences'
What is the difference between one life sentence...or three life sentences....or twenty life sentences, when served consecutively? Practically-speaking, life without parole means the same thing, namely, that the perpetrator will die in prison.
I empathize with the two previous posts about not wanting Joseph to pay the ultimate penalty because, after all, he was a nice guy and was not an inhuman monster...most of the time.
Nevertheless, I will still argue that this case warrants a death penalty as much as any other. The fact that Mercado was 'normally' a nice guy who had friends and interests, etc. is irrelevant.
Contrary to popular opinion, there is tremendous wisdom in the Old Testament prescription of 'Eye for an Eye....and life for life'. This man deprived THREE people of their lives! And he deprived his own son of his mother! The death penalty is certainly warranted in order to acknowledge the infinite value of the lives that were taken by this man.
I'm amazed at the attempted justification above: 'something happened to make him do this' and 'he just went crazy that night', etc. If you interviewed all of the men and women sitting on Death Row in California today, I will wager that the vast, overwhelming majority of them are on Death Row for things they did not plan. They, too, 'snapped' and 'went crazy', often under the influence of drugs or alcohol. But that does not obviate the gravity of their crimes....and does diminish the fact that they, for the most part, do in fact deserve to die.
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