Accident – Death – Obituary News :
A man has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for a cold case triple murder that shocked the Normal Heights community in San Diego nearly 25 years ago. Sergio Lopez Contreras, 46, was found guilty by a San Diego jury of the September 4, 2000, killings of Michael Plummer, 27; Plummer’s girlfriend, Adah Pearson, 18; and Plummer’s nephew, Julio Rangel Jr., who was just 22 months old.
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Intended Target
Prosecutors alleged that Plummer was the intended target of the shooting because he had not paid Contreras for $30 worth of methamphetamine. Plummer was struck by twelve bullets, while Pearson was shot while sleeping on the couch. A bullet that pierced the wall behind Pearson entered a bedroom where the toddler was sleeping. Fortunately, the child’s parents and sibling were present during the shooting but were not harmed.
Fleeing the Country
Contreras, who was 22 years old at the time of the shooting, fired 16 shots into the Bancroft Street apartment before fleeing the country. He was later arrested in Mexico and extradited to San Diego last year to face trial.
Sentencing
Contreras was convicted earlier this year of three counts of first-degree murder, allegations of discharging a firearm, and special circumstance allegations of committing multiple murders. Although special circumstance allegations can result in the death penalty, Contreras was incarcerated in Mexico for the robbery and murder of a prominent doctor, and Mexican authorities prohibited local prosecutors from seeking the death penalty as a condition of his extradition.
At his sentencing hearing, Deputy District Attorney Chris Lindberg described the shooting as a “senseless crime and devastating violence” over a small amount of drugs and money, and wounded pride.
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Defence Argument
During the trial, Contreras’ defense attorney, Neil Besse, argued that there was no forensic evidence linking his client to the shooting. The prosecution’s case relied heavily on accusations from an associate of Contreras, Victor Calderon, who was facing a lengthy prison sentence in an unrelated case and had motives to lie. Calderon, who was also present during the killings, was accidentally shot in the arm by Contreras. A blood trail leading away from the scene was later identified as Calderon’s blood.
Cold Case Breakthrough
Although the case initially went cold, Calderon discussed the shooting with police in 2005 while incarcerated in Alabama for a DUI-related homicide. Besse argued that Calderon, who has since passed away in prison, was facing a lengthy prison sentence for the fatal DUI and was made a scapegoat in the San Diego case due to rumours of a drug deal gone bad.
Ultimately, San Diego Superior Court Judge Melinda Lasater sentenced Contreras to three consecutive life without parole terms, plus 75 years to life for three firearm allegations.
This case serves as a reminder of the devastating consequences of senseless violence and the importance of seeking justice for victims and their families.
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convicted shooter gets life sentence for triple murder in normal heights, nbc san diego.
