Sheriff’s Detective Describes Confession in Bridges’ Killing

A Santa Paula woman charged with murder confessed that she shot car dealer Tony Bridges after setting him up to be robbed by two friends from Los Angeles, a sheriff’s detective testified Friday.

Detective Raul Munoz said Veronica O. Lira told him that she shot Bridges in a panic after discovering a gun on him while he was smoking cocaine in his car three months ago.

“Veronica pointed the gun at Tony, who still had the pipe in his hand,” Munoz testified. “He was motionless, he just froze. Veronica pulled the trigger, the gun went off and it hit Tony.”

After the preliminary hearing testimony, Ventura County Municipal Court Judge Steven Hintz ordered Lira, 26, to stand trial for allegedly robbing and killing Bridges on Dec. 18 and leaving his body in an El Rio cilantro field. Superior Court arraignment is set for April 17.

Hintz allowed Munoz to recount Lira’s confession over objections by defense attorneys, who argued that the tape-recorded statements were coerced while she was held in isolation under suicide watch at the County Jail.

Hintz sided with prosecutors who said Lira sought out detectives about a week after her January arrest and confessed to shooting Bridges because she was remorseful and tormented.

Munoz said that Lira admitted setting up Bridges for robbery and shooting him once during the robbery. Lira said one of her friends also shot Bridges. She did not identify either friend, Munoz said.

Defense attorneys Richard Holly and Howard Asher said they will restate their objections to the confession during trial.

During the confession, Lira said she first met Bridges, who owned a Chevrolet dealership in Santa Paula, last Thanksgiving, when she visited his house with a friend. “They were smoking crack and watching videos, and the other girl slept with Tony,” Munoz said.

That night they discussed Bridges’ affinity for erotic dancers, Munoz said. Lira said she gave Bridges the business card for her escort service and told him to call “if he ever needed a girl,” the detective said.

Bridges asked for two dancers and gave Lira a $100 advance, Lira told Munoz. “Tony had the two girls over and they partied,” Munoz said. But Lira said she received only half of the $400 Bridges had promised to pay, he said.

Lira also delivered cocaine worth $200 to Bridges but never got paid, Munoz said. “She felt like she was being ripped off,” he testified.

The next time she visited Bridges, Lira and a friend stole his gold Rolex watch, which Lira pawned for $245, Munoz said.

On the afternoon of his death, Bridges paged Lira and asked that she bring some friends to his house for a private party, Munoz said.

“She immediately called a friend in L.A. and planned to rob Tony,” Munoz said. “She told her friend that Tony had burned her on a rock deal . . . and that he had a lot of money. She wanted him to bring a gun, put it to (Bridges’) head and take his wallet if he wanted to.”

Bridges picked up Lira at 6:30 p.m. at her sister’s house in Oxnard, the detective said. At Bridges’ Santa Paula home, Lira stole a new watch and two rings while the car dealer was in the bathroom, Munoz said.

Later they met a drug dealer in Oxnard and Bridges appeared to make a purchase, Munoz said. Then they met her two friends at a Ventura beach. The friends got into the back seat of Bridges’ white Chevrolet convertible, Munoz said.

“Tony was smoking rock cocaine in his pipe,” recounted the detective. “Veronica was looking at Tony. Her friend pulled a gun and placed it behind Tony’s head.”

Lira, while taking Bridges’ wallet, felt a handgun inside his coat, Munoz said. She pulled the gun and shot him because she was afraid he might attack her, Munoz said.

“His eyes were darting around. He looked at her as if he was about to do something and that look scared her,” the detective said.

A panicked Lira dropped the gun and fled the car. But one of her friends picked up the pistol and shot Bridges again, Munoz said.

That friend then ordered Lira into the car and they drove to a field in Saticoy, the second man following in his car. One of the men then emptied Bridges’ pockets, took off his clothes and covered his body with leaves and debris, Munoz said.

The men left in their car. Lira drove Bridges’ car to see friends in Saticoy and shared some of the car dealer’s cocaine with them. She took Bridges’ car to a carwash where it was cleaned inside and out, then dumped it in Oxnard, Munoz testified.

Munoz said Lira confessed because she was guilt ridden. “She was having nightmares about what she did, and she wanted to clear her conscience. She wanted something bad to happen to Tony, but she didn’t want him killed.”

Lira said she liked Bridges, Munoz said.