SANTA PAULA : Man Convicted of Murdering Cousin

A Santa Paula man who killed his cousin during a long-running family feud was convicted Friday of second-degree murder, six months after his brother was found guilty of first-degree murder for driving the getaway car.

Jurors said they spent much of their three days of deliberations discussing the meaning of the legal terms deliberate and premeditation before deciding that Arturo M. Tellez, 27, had not planned the slaying of Javier Tellez Garcia and the attempted slaying of another cousin, Jose Tellez Vasquez, in a crowded Santa Paula park in June, 1991.

Jury forewoman Mary Wilson of Thousand Oaks said the panel believed Arturo Tellez’s testimony that he got a gun the day of the shooting to defend himself and that he was not angry at the time.

“We have to believe what was said (in court),” Wilson said.

According to trial testimony, Arturo and his brother, Jesus M. Tellez, 21, went to Teague Park together. Arturo shot his cousin Javier Tellez Garcia once in the back, then walked up to him as he lay on the ground and shot him again in the eye, according to testimony.

Arturo then shot another cousin, Jose Tellez Vasquez, according to trial testimony.

Jesus Tellez was convicted of first-degree murder in January and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison. Although his role in the crime was driving the getaway car, under California law he was equally guilty of the murder and attempted murder.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Carol J. Nelson called the slaying “cold-blooded murder” and said the jury that found Jesus Tellez guilty of first-degree murder “understood its (legal) instructions better.”

Arturo Tellez is scheduled for sentencing Aug. 20.