A jury found former Hollister resident Paul Zapata guilty
Tuesday of killing a man outside a 7-Eleven store more than three
years ago in a gang-related shooting.
Gilroy – A jury found former Hollister resident Paul Zapata guilty Tuesday of killing a man outside a 7-Eleven store more than three years ago in a gang-related shooting.
It didn’t take long for the jury of nine women and three men to determine that Zapata, 23, committed first-degree murder in 2001, based on police findings in a nearly two-year investigation.
Following a four-week trial, jurors returned the verdict at 11:15am Tuesday, after deliberating for 90 minutes Monday afternoon and over an hour Tuesday morning.
“It was one of those cases where it was just all put together, everybody had a piece of the puzzle to put together to show that he was the murderer,” said Stuart Scott, the assistant district attorney who tried the case.
Besides the first-degree murder charge, Zapata was convicted on two additional charges of use of a firearm causing death and committing a crime to benefit a criminal street gang.
When he is sentenced at 9am on Dec. 13, Zapata will face a minimum of 60 years to life in prison – meaning he won’t be released before the age of 83.
Scott called police and 12 other witnesses to the stand during the course of the trial to prove that Zapata, 19 years old and a Hollister resident at the time, confronted 24-year-old Juan Miguel Trigueros, a student at Gilroy’s Center for Employment Training, outside the 7-Eleven store at Leavesley Road and Murray Avenue about 2am May 19, 2001. After exchanging words, Zapata produced a handgun and shot Trigueros twice at close range, hitting him in the left shoulder and chest.
Scott credited the Gilroy Police Department with conducting a superior investigation and keeping Gilroy safe from gang-related violent activity, in general.
“(Det.) Dan Zen of the Gilroy Police Department took this case over in the winter of 2002 and it was a cold case,” Scott said. “He was able, with the help of Officer Jim Gillio, to get some leads and just through some good police and detective work, they were able to bust through this case and put it all together.”
Lori Stuenkel is a staff writer. Reach her at 408-842-6400 or e-mail ls*******@gi************.com
