Man guilty of gunning down wife, who worked at Irvine preschool

An Orange County man was convicted Monday of murdering his estranged wife by shooting her nine times in the chest after stalking her as she left work, prosecutors said.

John Rand Agosta, 37, was found guilty by a jury on one felony count of murder and faces a minimum sentence of 50 years to life in state prison when he is sentenced, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

On the afternoon of June 16, 2011, prosecutors said, Agosta -- armed with a gun -- waited outside the preschool in Irvine where his wife, Alejandra Hernandez, worked.

At lunch time, Hernandez left the preschool, and Agosta, in his Ford Mustang, trailed behind her. About half a mile from the preschool, Hernandez stopped in a cul-de-sac and got out of the car.

Agosta shot Hernandez, 28, and then attempted to flee in his car, but it wouldn’t start, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said he got out of the car, returned to Hernandez’s body, turned her over using his foot and then ran away, leaving his car there.

Hernandez was pronounced dead at the scene.

Agosta asked a friend who didn’t know about the killing to pick him up. He was arrested at the friend’s home that afternoon.

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Twitter: @rar | rick.rojas@latimes.com