3 Found Guilty of Murdering Officer : Crime: Fourth defendant is convicted of drug charges in fatal police sting operation.

Jurors who deliberated less than two days returned guilty verdicts Tuesday against three men charged in the 1990 slaying of undercover Fullerton Police Detective Tommy De La Rosa during a drug sting that went sour.

Raul Meza, 41, Jose Yuriar, 26, and Jesus Araclio, 31, all of Los Angeles County, were convicted of first-degree murder and robbery charges in connection with De La Rosa’s death. A fourth defendant, Fredrico Marriott, 40, also of Los Angeles County, was convicted of conspiring to purchase cocaine and attempting to purchase cocaine.

Jurors must now decide whether to recommend the death penalty for the three convicted of murder. The penalty phase of the trial begins Friday in Norwalk Superior Court. Sentencing for Marriott is set for Nov. 17.

Fullerton Police Detective Dan Hughes, De La Rosa’s partner at the time of his death, said De La Rosa’s widow, Leslie De La Rosa, was pleased with the verdict but still distraught over the violent death of her husband.

“She said she feels relief that the jury came back with the right decision, but she still does not have her husband, and it’s because of these cold-blooded murderers,” Hughes said.

“She said to me ‘How can I be excited, how can I be happy? This only just relieves the pain a little bit,”’ Hughes said. Leslie De La Rosa, 40, has filed a $25-million civil suit accusing the Fullerton Police Department and five neighboring police departments involved in the undercover drug-sting operation of negligence.

In a prepared statement, Fullerton Police Chief Philip A. Goehring said De La Rosa’s co-workers were “gratified by the verdict.”

“From our standpoint, it’s a just verdict, and the only one possible,” Goehring said. “Tommy De La Rosa will always remain a hero in our eyes, and while nothing on earth can replace him or his dedication to the war against drugs, this decision says to all that his death was not in vain.”

The trial began in mid-August. Prosecutors told jurors that De La Rosa, 43, was posing as a drug dealer when Meza, Yuriar and Araclio planned to kill and rob him after they negotiated a $4-million cocaine deal. Defense attorneys told jurors that the men did not know De La Rosa was an undercover police officer and acted in self-defense.

Prosecutors and defense attorneys in the case were unable to comment Tuesday because of a gag order imposed in the case.

Prosecutors told jurors that De La Rosa was being monitored by a helicopter and undercover officers several blocks away when he arrived at the Downey home where he would die in a gunfight. Moments after entering the home, De La Rosa was gunned down but managed to kill one drug dealer at the scene.

One defense attorney in the case argued that the defendants were being used to divert scrutiny from the Fullerton Police Department, which she alleged might be held responsible for De La Rosa’s death.

The jury’s verdict ends the first portion of an often-bitter trial for the widow and friends of the slain officer. Hughes said that throughout the trial, Norwalk Superior Court Judge J. Kimball Walker showed bias favoring the defendants.

“Throughout the trial, the judge was biased and prejudiced against the police. He said many demeaning things,” Hughes said Tuesday. “I’m just elated with the jury’s decision. Today’s my birthday, and I couldn’t think of a better birthday present.”

In September, Leslie De La Rosa left the courtroom in tears. She said Walker implied that her husband had planned to rob the defendants and said the judge placed the decorated police officer “on the same level, if not lower, as those who killed him.”

Police were also enraged when Walker acquitted Marriott of De La Rosa’s murder last month, leaving only drug conspiracy and cocaine charges against him. Walker also dismissed some drug charges and allegations that the slaying was part of an ambush by Meza, Yuriar and Araclio.

Walker, a retired judge whose court experience was mostly in civil matters, also threatened at one point to bar Hughes from the trial and held the detective in contempt of court for comments during his testimony.

Prosecutors tried unsuccessfully to have Walker removed from the case.

Times staff writer Gerald Faris contributed to this report.