Santa Clara County Judge Finds Teenager Guilty of Murder in Valentine’s Day Stabbing

Flint said there was not sufficient evidence to support a first-degree murder conviction because it wasn’t clear the suspect intended to kill David, but that the suspect “deliberately acted with conscious disregard for human life.”

Following the court hearing on Friday, District Attorney Jeff Rosen said he would ask the judge to sentence the suspect to seven years in a secure youth treatment facility at Juvenile Hall, despite state law that requires a child to be 14 years of age or older when committing a serious crime to be eligible for such a sentence. Younger defendants typically face months in a youth camp rather than years in juvenile hall.

“The minor who committed this horrible crime is now more than 14 years old. And we believe that the maximum commitment in juvenile is appropriate to provide the minor with an opportunity to rehabilitate himself and therefore an opportunity upon release to no longer be a danger to the community,” Rosen said.

“Otherwise, we’re looking at the minor being released in a matter of months. And that is unacceptable,” Rosen said. “There’s no way that the minor’s going to be rehabilitated in a few months.”

Jennifer Redding, the deputy public defender in the case, said Friday the case is an “immense tragedy,” and split with Rosen’s view on the sentence. 

“If we truly want safer communities, we need mentorship, mental health resources, positive role models and opportunities that help young people build lives rooted in stability, accountability and hope,” Redding said in an email. “We trust that the court will follow the law when deciding what is appropriate for our client who has been in juvenile hall since the date of incident.”

The stabbing came only minutes after David was confronted and beaten by the suspect and four other teenagers, including an 18-year-old, near El Jardin restaurant.

Police said David, who was wearing red shoes and a red jacket for Valentine’s Day, was not affiliated with gangs, but his attackers were, and they allegedly questioned him about why he was wearing red before the assault.

After a security guard broke up the fight, David and his girlfriend encountered the suspect again nearby, and David allegedly challenged the boy to fight one-on-one.

The suspect, whose name is not being reported because he is a minor, initially declined to fight, saying he already “got his hits in,” but when pressed, produced a knife and stabbed David before fleeing.

Both families were in court for the decision on Friday. David’s family has protested and called for harsher penalties for the suspect, asking for him to be treated as an adult for his crime. But state law prohibits a person who is younger than 16 at the time of a crime from being transferred to adult court.

During the press conference on Friday, David’s mother, Veronica Gutierrez, thanked prosecutors and police investigators for their work and remembered her son.

“He was a wonderful kid. A person full of love and happiness, and he was just taken too soon by a violent individual and his group of friends,” she said. “It’s a tragedy for me and my family, that I don’t know if we will ever be able to recover from. But I feel like today the judge did the right thing.”

The 14-year-old was also found responsible for assault and robbery charges stemming from his actions at Valley Fair and the attack on David before the stabbing. He has a court hearing in July where his involvement in a separate case will be decided by a judge. Following that, a sentencing will be scheduled, officials said.

“You don’t have to be 16 and above to be evil and violent and reckless,” Diana Gutierrez, David’s aunt, said Friday about the suspect. “His actions prove that he is dangerous to our community, to men, women, kids. And we’re gonna fight because we’re not going to stop here. He needs to be put away for years.”

One 16-year-old suspect found responsible for the assault on David prior to the stabbing was sentenced last year to two years at Juvenile Hall, while another was given a lighter sentence of six to eight months at the juvenile ranch facility, according to The Mercury News.

One other teenager was deemed not responsible for the assault, while the 18-year-old, Emanuel Sanchez Damian, was charged in adult court, and his case is still pending.