Death to Be Sought in Slaying of County Minister

Prosecutors said Wednesday they will seek the death penalty for a reputed gang member charged with robbing an Orange County minister stranded in South Los Angeles, then killing him as he prayed inside a telephone booth.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Joseph Markus announced in Superior Court that he will seek to have Tracy Carter, 18, sentenced to death.

Markus said he will not seek the death penalty against co-defendant Todd Lavera, 22, another reputed gang member who will face a maximum sentence of life without parole if convicted.

A third reputed gang member charged in the case, Andre Moore, 17, pleaded guilty last month to first-degree murder and robbery. Moore is scheduled to be sentenced to state prison today.

Markus said the three gang members killed David Thompson, 27, a licensed minister and an elder at the Greater Zion Apostolic Church in Santa Ana, after his church bus broke down in South Los Angeles in April.

Thompson had gone to a telephone booth to call for help when the suspects robbed him and his wife, then shot him as he said a final prayer.

Hours later, Markus said, the three tried to rob, then shot to death Leopoldo Salgado, 49, of Los Angeles, as he left a liquor store. The three are also accused to trying to rob and kill a friend of Salgado’s.

All three defendants remain in jail. Carter and Lavera face a pretrial hearing April 5.