2 Gang Members Guilty in Girl’s Slaying

Two Pacoima gang members were convicted Friday in the shooting death of a 17-year-old high school girl, who was killed while riding home with friends, authorities said.

Nicholas Avila, 27, and Martin Mendoza, 20, were also each convicted of four counts of attempted first-degree murder for firing up to 10 shots at a moving car in which Carmen de la Cruz of Sepulveda was riding with four friends, Deputy Dist. Atty. Edward Nison said.

De la Cruz was shot three times in the back and died instantly. None of the other passengers were injured.

Nison said that on Jan. 20, 1989, Avila, Mendoza and Adolfo Caldero, 18, also of Pacoima, were looking for members of a rival gang who had attacked a younger member of their own gang earlier in the day.

While driving around Pacoima, they pulled up next to the car in which De la Cruz and her friends were riding, Nison said. Nison said Caldero flashed a gang sign at the driver who responded by flashing his own gang sign. Then Avila fired at the car with an assault rifle, he said.

Two separate San Fernando Superior Court juries each deliberated for less than half a day before convicting Mendoza and Avila.

Avila faces 30 years to life in prison plus four additional life terms, and Mendoza faces 26 years to life in prison plus four additional life terms. They are scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 9. Caldero is still awaiting trial.