Gunman Sentenced in Barmaid’s Murder
A man imprisoned for a killing in 1983 has been sentenced to another 22 years to life in prison for murdering a Pomona barmaid who slapped him.
A Superior Court jury took less than one hour to convict Rigoberto Beltran Abeja, 30, of second-degree murder. He was sentenced by Judge Robert M. Martinez.
Prosecutors said Abeja pulled a gun inside the Jack & Jill tavern last June 19 and shot Nina Rubio, 25, four times from behind after she slapped him because he touched her.
Abeja served part of an eight-year sentence for manslaughter in the slaying of a man in Bakersfield.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
