3 Spared Death Sentences in Detective’s Slaying

Three reputed drug dealers were spared the death penalty Thursday by a jury that recommended they be sentenced to life in prison for the murder of undercover Fullerton police Detective Tommy De La Rosa in a drug sting that went awry.

The Norwalk Superior Court jury deliberated less than three hours before rejecting the death penalty for Raul Meza, 41, Jose Yuriar, 26, and Jesus Araclio, 31, all of Los Angeles County, despite a prosecutor’s plea that the men deserved to die in the gas chamber.

The jury recommended that the men be given life in prison without possibility of parole when they are sentenced Jan. 4. Superior Court Judge J. Kimball Walker has the power to reduce the jury’s recommendation, but he cannot overturn the verdict and sentence the men to death.

“I’m disappointed that (the jury) didn’t give the death penalty at least to Meza, who is responsible for firing a bullet through Mr. De La Rosa’s heart,” said Deputy Dist. Atty. Daniel Lenhart.

Fullerton police Detective Dan Hughes, De La Rosa’s partner at the time of the slaying, said De La Rosa’s widow, Leslie, “doesn’t understand how they made the ultimate decision on Tommy’s life, but now these people will still get to see their families.”

Fullerton Capt. Lee R. DeVore said members of the police force would have preferred a death sentence but were pleased with the jury’s decision.

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 on June 21, 1990, prosecutors told the jury.

De La Rosa was being monitored by a helicopter and undercover officers when he died in a hail of bullets moments after entering a Downey home.

Defense attorney Javier Ramirez, who represented Yuriar, said the slaying occurred when the drug deal “blew up” and shots were exchanged between De La Rosa and another reputed drug dealer who died in the shootout.

Defense attorneys said the defendants acted in self-defense and did not know that De La Rosa was a police officer until after his death.

Times staff writer David Reyes contributed to this report.