Posted on 11/15/2005 11:20:23 AM PST by radar101
– An Oceanside man was convicted of first-degree murder yesterday in the fatal shooting of a police officer and the jury will now be asked to condemn him to death.
Adrian Camacho's face flushed and his head slumped onto his chest as Superior Court Judge Joan Weber read the verdict. Camacho, 30, opened fire on rookie Oceanside police Officer Tony Zeppetella, 27, and killed him during a shootout June 13, 2003, in the parking lot of the Navy Federal Credit Union near Oceanside and College boulevards in Oceanside. The jury also found Camacho guilty of possession of a controlled substance and of being a felon in possession of a gun. Prosecutors said Zeppetella was shot because Camacho was carrying heroin and other drugs in the car and feared he would be returned to prison.
Defense lawyers did not contest that Camacho killed the officer. Instead, they argued that their client was mentally unstable due to a drug-fueled psychosis and asked the jury to convict him of a lesser crime and spare him the possibility of the death penalty.
Zeppetella's widow, Jamie, was in the courtroom for the verdict. Later, her attorney said that she was pleased with the decision and that she plans to testify in the penalty phase of the trial.
"She's very relieved at this point," lawyer Gregory Emerson said. "She's just emotionally drained and exhausted."
Camacho's wife, Stacey, wept, and paramedics were later called to examine her. Nearly two hours after the verdict was read, she regained her composure and left the courthouse without comment.
The jury spent about seven hours deliberating and reviewing the testimony of Camacho's psychiatrist, Dennis Ordas, before reaching its verdict.
Ordas testified about his attempts to rehabilitate Camacho from addictions to heroin and methamphetamine. In response to a question from the defense, the psychiatrist explained the term "meth-induced psychosis" as referring to hallucinations and paranoia triggered by methamphetamine affecting the brain.
During cross-examination by the prosecution, Ordas testified he had no opinion as to whether Camacho was in a psychotic state during the shooting.
Deputy Public Defenders William Stone and Kathleen Cannon also presented testimony from an expert witness who concluded that Camacho suffered from three mental disorders the day of the shooting, one of which was the meth-induced psychosis.
Prosecutor David Rubin told jurors Camacho was a felon, illegal immigrant and gang member who ambushed the officer.
Camacho shot Zeppetella four times with the officer's gun. Camacho then took Zepetella's patrol car to get away and hide at his mother-in-law's house.
Rubin ridiculed the defense's psychosis theory and showed the jury dozens of decisions Camacho made that day that someone in a psychotic state could not have made, he said.
Weber said the penalty phase of the trial will begin Nov. 28. Attorneys for both sides expect the penalty phase to last about three days.
The jury will recommend whether Camacho should be sent to death row or spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.
A spokesman for the Oceanside Police Department did not return phone messages seeking comment.
bump for publicity
Bump for later.
Ah, BUSY you...lol.
Excuse me, young lady. I am, afterall, at work. Working (cough).
Oh, at work. Of course. Silly me.
Yes indeed. Silly you.
10 minutes to go! YEA!!! THEN I CAN GO HOME! To the Family! :)
We are having a storm like I have not before witnessed.
Thunder that sounds like canons going off --- shakes the house like a quake -- and lightning that's unbelievable.
Rain pouring down in sheets. It was nearly dark outside at 3:30 this afternoon.
You know I am loving this --- so long as the power stays on!
I LOVE thunderstorms!!! Remember how much fun they were out here, the oh, 3 times you witnessed them?
:)
NOTHING like you're describing though. Enjoy!
I hope the juice stays on for ya...!
See ya later --- give my regards to SR. :)
Going to shut down for a while.
Oh yeah. Regards. Uh huh.
OK. Kiss him. From YOU.
Almost everyday we have wrecks that cause serious damage, injury, or death to innocent people caused by illegals. I witnessed two accidents where the driver of one of the cars involved fled on foot. If you guess the drivers of the cars were Hispanic you are correct. I don't know if the drivers were drunk, had warrants, or were illegal. (Or all of the above.)
Anyway, something has to be done.
Southern California newspapers have been full of reports of accidents, robberies, beatings, shootings, knifings, rapes, child molestations, you name it, perpetrated by hispanic illegal aliens.
Los Angeles (a sanctuary city) attracts illegals like flies to you-know-what, because they know they can't be arrested for just being here illegally.
It's no wonder that lifetime citizens of California can't stand these parasites, yet we have to support them, thanks to our cowardly politicians. We're being outnumbered here, and it's not good for this state.
NFCU member ping!
This is terrorism in every sense of the word. No reason this clown should still be breathing.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.