Opinion ID: 2586281
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: Statements of the Jailhouse Informants

Text: Several of defendant's claims on appeal, including the severance claim, relate to jailhouse informants George Jimenez and Jorge Flores and their statements. Neither Jimenez nor Flores testified at trial.
Following defendant's and Alvarado's arrest after the car stop, Alvarado was incarcerated in the county jail. On May 30, 1992, Alvarado (under the alias Ralph Varela) was in a holding cell with several other inmates, including George Jimenez. In an interview on June 23, 1992, Jimenez told police the inmates were passing around a newspaper that included a story about the Magoon murders. While looking at the newspaper, Alvarado stated, Hey, we did this. One of the other inmates said, You're the ones that capped that little kid? Alvarado laughed and replied, Yeah. Enraged by Alvarado's admission, some of the inmates assaulted Alvarado.
On the same day as Alvarado's jailhouse assault, defendant was incarcerated in a different jail, where he spoke with an acquaintance, Jorge Flores. The next day, June 1, 1992, during an interview with police detectives, Flores stated defendant told him he had taken a pistol that belonged to a shooting victim. Defendant told Flores that he and an unnamed companion were sent by their boss to the victims' house to either get back the marijuana their boss had sold to the victims or get the money the victims owed for it. Defendant stated that when they went to the victims' house the victims were not there, but when the victims arrived, the male victim saw they were waiting for him, and the victims went inside the house. Defendant and his companion knocked on the door; the door opened, or was broken down, and the male and female victims were inside holding weapons. The companion pulled his gun and shot one of the victims, and the bullet also hit one of the children in the head. The second victim tried to shoot, and defendant shot the second victim.