‘Parole applicant did intend to murder victim’

Chief Prosecutor John Bradley opposed the potential release of convicted murderer Ezra Deleon Guerrero, saying he clearly had the intention to commit murder and that he has only served the absolute minimum sentence to be eligible for parole.

In his application for parole, Deleon Guerrero insists that he was under the influence of methamphetamine or “ice” when he killed Korean businessman Jae Soung Shim on May 17, 2009.

At a recent Board of Parole hearing to consider the parole application of Deleon Guerrero, Bradley said the Office of the Attorney General strongly opposes Deleon Guerrero’s early release, as has served only the minimum amount of time.

Deleon Guerrero was convicted of murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Yet he has only served 10 of his 30-year sentence, Bradley said. “Serving only one-third of his sentence is only the absolute minimum for eligibility of parole,” he added.

Had it not been murder or a less serious crime, granting parole could be possible for the time served, Bradley added, underscoring the seriousness of the case to argue against early release for Deleon Guerrero.

The prosecution’s second point was that Deleon Guerrero had planned the killing, as he had a person with whom he was in contact with while committing the crime and that Deleon Guerrero was aware that Shim possibly had a gun by the counter and had a background in martial arts. “In this case, with the individual being intoxicated and being mitigated to commit the crime under the influence…he still was able to come up with the idea to rob someone and commit murder,” Bradley said.

Deleon Guerrero wore a black ski mask on the night of the murder and hit the victim with a tangan-tangan stick on the back of the head several times, implying that he snuck up to the victim. After murdering the victim, he stole the money in the cash register and fled the scene.

Bradley also pointed out that, as per a Department of Corrections memorandum, Deleon Guerrero committed 13 violations while in prison. Those violations include assault and battery, numerous possessions of cell phones, and others that suggest that he is not taking the degree of his crime seriously.

In his statement to the board, Deleon Guerrero said that he was under the influence of “ice” at the time and had no control over himself.

He argued that he has changed, as he committed the crime while under the influence and has learned his lesson about the risks of drug addiction. His girlfriend, serving as his sponsor, said she believes that he is ready to be released on parole.

“I believe he should be released,” she said. She intends to get Deleon Guerrero back into college and join the workforce if granted parole.

BOP chair Ramon B. Camacho said that he would like to see that Deleon Guerrero take part in numerous counseling agencies such as the Project HOPE and the Community Guidance Center, if granted parole. The BOP will be deliberating on their decision for the entirety of today and tomorrow.

The BOP will also hold further hearings today, as parole applicant Shawn Appleby’s sponsors requested for the hearing to be moved to today.