2 Men Charged in July 4 Death Plead Self-Defense

Two men arrested in connection with Surf City’s Fourth of July slaying pleaded not guilty Friday, contending they acted in self-defense as they tried to halt an attack by the victim and his friends.

Esteban F. Quiroz Jr., a 22-year-old construction worker from Riverside, is charged with murder in the shooting death of a 21-year-old man at the height of Huntington Beach’s melee that included two stabbings and more than 100 arrests.

Roy Becerra, 22, of Corona is accused of being an accessory to the killing.

Defense attorneys said Quiroz and Becerra were trying to help a carload of friends who had been confronted by a mob of revelers.

“The crowd then started coming after my client,” said attorney Virginia Blumenthal, who represents Quiroz. “They turned on him, and that’s when the gun went off.”

Investigators were still investigating the shooting death of Christopher Albert, who was fatally wounded in the chest. The shooting occurred in the same coastal area where crowds of younths violently celebrated the nation’s birthday by burning furniture and throwing bricks and bottles at police cruisers.

This week’s uproar was the third Fourth of July disturbance in a row, despite the Police Department spending at least $180,000 this year on precautionary measures and deploying the most police officers ever.

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Detectives have not determined whether the slaying was prompted by the clash between police and youths that erupted about 10 p.m. But Lt. Dan Johnson said it appeared unlikely that the slaying was a random act of violence. “Murder is a very personal act,” he said, “and you can’t compare that to a group of drunken thugs looking for some fun.”

On the Fourth of July, thousands of people mostly in their late teens and early 20s descended upon the coastal city. They came in groups, many on bikes, and gathered downtown.

Because of trouble on previous holidays, police had closed downtown streets by about 8 p.m., and many visitors expressed anger at police because many bars and restaurants were shut. Hundreds of revelers began moving north to a few parties in an area bounded by 7th and 10th streets, Pacific Coast Highway and Orange Avenue, police said.

The victim and his friends, and the two suspects and their friends, were among those celebrating in the area, prosecuting and defense attorneys said. Neither group had met before the confrontation, attorneys said.

Prosecutor Clyde Vonderahe declined to comment pending the completion of the investigation.

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Quiroz and Becerra were with four friends traveling in two cars when they were impeded by hundreds of people surrounding a burning couch, Blumenthal said.

The men briefly got out of their cars to watch the commotion and as they were getting back into the vehicles, someone punched through the driver’s-side window of the first car, Blumenthal said. Quiroz got out of the second car to assist his friends, but he was outnumbered and the group of young men who had surrounded the first car began chasing him, she said.

Shots were fired, and at least one gunshot critically wounded Albert.

Quiroz, Becerra and a third man were arrested at Beach Boulevard and Stark Street. The third man was later released with no charges filed, according to a city jail spokesman.

Quiroz is being held at Orange County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail, and Becerra’s bail is set at $100,000. They are awaiting a July 19 preliminary hearing at Municipal Court in Westminster.

At the murder scene this week, someone left a San Antonio Spurs cap, representing Albert’s affiliation with the Spur Posse, a group of high school athletes who competed for points attained through sexual conquests. Nearby were flowers and cards.

A police investigation into the group led to nine arrests, but the charges were later dropped, authorities said. Albert was not arrested, according to police, but he did appear on national television to talk about the Spur Posse.

Friends say Albert excelled at sports and was well-liked by classmates at Lakewood High School.

“He was the type of person who, when he decided to do something, he would have done it to its fullest,” said Richard Alvarez, 22, who played basketball with Albert on weekends. “He’s only 21, and he just hasn’t really decided what he would do for the rest of his life. And now, he won’t be given that chance.”