SANTA ANA — A 41-year-old man Jurupa Valley man pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatally shooting a man in Anaheim eight years ago.
Luis Alberto Arias pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury and possession of a gun by a felon, all felonies. He also admitted sentencing enhancements for the personal use of a gun.
As part of the plea deal with prosecutors, a murder count was dismissed. Arias was given credit for 2,185 days behind bars, or nearly six years.
Arias killed 27-year-old Rafael Luna of Placentia on Nov. 24, 2017 in the 2500 block of East Terrace Street.
Arias had been hanging our in an alley claimed by a local gang, prosecutors said in a trial brief. Arias did not associate with a gang but hung out with a friend in the neighborhood who belonged to a different gang than the one that claimed the area, prosecutors said.
A day or so before the violent conflict with Luna, local gang members confronted Arias, who pulled a handgun and fired it in their direction, prosecutors said.
Luna’s girlfriend told authorities that on the day of the shooting Luna and another local gang member went to an area where Arias was and shot at him, and Arias shot back at them, prosecutors said.
Hours later, about 10 p.m., Arias, who was armed with an assault rifle, drove to where Luna was, prosecutors said. When Luna saw him he pulled out a handgun and tried to fire at Arias, but the gun jammed, prompting him to run away. Arias shot him in the back.
It took about 2 1/2 years for investigators to build a case against Arias and arrest him, prosecutors said.