‘Wants Scalp on His Belt’ in Murder Trial, Defender Says : Prosecutor’s Motives Questioned in Gang Case

The attorney for a Santa Ana gang member told jurors Wednesday that Deputy Dist. Atty. Brent F. Romney was seeking a first-degree murder conviction against his client in a stabbing two years ago because he “wants (another) scalp on his belt.”

Larry B. Bruce, attorney for Calixtro Alvarez, 24, a member of Santa Ana’s F-Troop gang, described Romney in closing arguments as “a full-time gang prosecutor” who comes into court believing that all gang-related cases are resolved when “one guy dies and the other is prosecuted.”

Alvarez has been held in the Orange County Jail since his arrest in the stabbing death of Maupu Naea of Santa Ana during a scuffle at a 7-Eleven convenience store in the 1000 block of Bristol Street in Santa Ana Dec. 24, 1984.

The incident occurred after five F-Troop members and two members of the Royal Samoan Production gang entered the convenience store at the same time to buy food and beer.

Testimony showed that the two gangs have a longstanding rivalry and that the fight grew out of a dispute between the Samoans and an F-Troop member five months before.

Alvarez’s attorney acknowledged to jurors that his client was involved in the 7-Eleven altercation but claims he acted in self-defense when he fatally stabbed Naea and slashed his companion, Michael Sailiga of Santa Ana.

But prosecutors contend that Alvarez provoked the incident by entering the store with his knife blade fully visible and by signaling a challenge to his rivals with a red bandanna.

Prosecutor Romney showed jurors evidence during the trial that Alvarez had made “damning admissions” to a police investigator, telling him, “I put the knife to him, you know, since I already had it ready.”

Romney later laughed about Bruce’s remark about a scalp on his belt.

But he told the jurors, “I don’t want a first-degree murder on my belt. This case is a tragedy for everybody involved.”

Alvarez, who listened to proceedings through a Spanish interpreter, appeared in a brown corduroy suit and had gang-related blue and black tattoos clearly visible on his hands.

Alvarez is charged with assault on Sailiga as well as murder.

The jury is scheduled to begin deliberations today.