De La Rosa Called ‘Easy Mark’ for Trio : Courts: In closing argument, jurors are urged to convict the three in slaying of undercover officer. He was shot to death in a Downey drug sting that went wrong.

Slain Fullerton Police Officer Tommy De La Rosa was an “easy mark” when three well-armed gunmen murdered the undercover officer in a hail of gunfire, a prosecutor said Wednesday as he urged jurors to convict all three men.

“They were heavily armed with weapons, shotguns and ammunition, the windows of the house were all covered . . . the defendants had set up an ambush,” Los Angeles County Deputy Dist. Atty. Daniel Lenhart said in closing arguments Wednesday.

Jurors are expected to begin deliberation today after closing arguments by defense attorneys in the case against Raul Meza, 41, Jose Yuriar, 26, and Jesus Araclio, 31. The trio is accused of gunning down De La Rosa on June 21, 1990, in a Downey home when a drug sting went bad.

They are charged with lying in wait and committing murder during a robbery, both special circumstances that make them eligible for the death penalty, if convicted. They also face drug charges.

Defense attorneys have contended that their clients are innocent and acted in self-defense when a gunfight started between Jose Rodriguez, an alleged member of the drug ring who died in the gun battle, and De La Rosa, who was working undercover and alone. The gunfight started when both De La Rosa and Rodgriguez reached for their guns, defense attorneys have said.

In court, Lenhart focused on Meza and Fredrico Marriott, a co-defendant whose murder charges were dismissed on Tuesday after Superior Court Judge J. Kimball Walker found that there was insufficient evidence against him.

Lenhart contended that Marriott was the main promoter of a large-scale scam by the defendants to buy 200 kilograms of cocaine for $4 million from De La Rosa, who was posing as a drug dealer as part of a major narcotics task force.

Marriott is still charged with conspiracy to buy cocaine for sale, and attempted purchase of cocaine.

Lenhart contended that the “death bullet,” the one that entered De La Rosa and went through his heart, came from a gun fired by Meza.

De La Rosa died after being shot five times during a shootout where the decorated detective managed to squeeze off several rounds from his gun and kill Rodriguez.

“(Meza) fired two shots into Tommy De La Rosa. He actually fired the death bullet that blew out Tommy’s heart,” Lenhart said.

Meza’s attorney, Carole Telfer, a Los Angeles County deputy public defender, told jurors that her client stood behind De La Rosa and has admitted firing two shots at the officer but that only one bullet struck the officer.

“And that hit him in the upper shoulder,” said Telfer, who began the defense’s arguments late Wednesday.

The second bullet missed, and the bullet that caused De La Rosa’s death was fired by Rodriguez, Telfer argued.

She said the prosecution’s evidence against her client on the murder charge was “sheer speculation.” Meza had armed himself that day because he had “an honest” belief that his life was in danger.