Here’s the latest on the Esteban Nuñez case. His bail has been reduced today, and he is likely to leave custody this evening (if he hasn’t already). Bail has now been set for $1 million for each defendant, cut in half from the amount originally set. I actually thought that former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez would have bailed out his son by now, but I guess he didn’t want to part with so much cash at once. Remember that when you post bail with a bailbondsman, you pay 10% of the bail amount — so had Fabian done this last week, he would have had to fork over $200K.
And sure enough, the San Diego Deputy District Attorney Jill DiCarlo has the myspace pictures that we were able to pull off of EsTeBaN’s profile before it was shut down.
“But DiCarlo said there’s another side to the defendants’ character. She described photos pulled from MySpace that show Nuñez and Garcia displaying their tattoos and holding liquor bottles. One photo posted after the slaying shows Nuñez stabbing a frog, she said.”
13 responses so far ↓
1 Michaelr // Dec 9, 2008 at 8:12 pm
And now begins a perfect example of how biased our American justice system is, especially towards anyone without money. As the proceedings go forward, we will see how Luis Santos’ life and importance is either demonized or suddenly evaporates, while San Diego Superior Court Judge David M. Szumowski continues to throw bones towards Esteban Nunez’s attorney, Brad Patton. Now we’ll see if Deputy District Attorney Jill DiCarlo is either an idealist, or part of the fabric that pollutes the very idea of justice and just protects the status quo. With Esteban Nunez out on bail, cats and frogs are not safe, and neither are motorcycles who park next to customized Camaros.
2 Michael "Mayor Sam" Higby // Dec 9, 2008 at 8:39 pm
Looks like he’s out:
http://mayorsam.blogspot.com/2008/12/report-esteban-nunez-released-from-jail.html
3 theKaiser // Dec 9, 2008 at 9:31 pm
If you’re planning on having a party this weekend make sure you hide your cats and pet frogs, because Esteban Nunez out of the slammer and he’s looking for somewhere to get wasted and something furry to stab with his knife.
4 anon // Dec 10, 2008 at 7:51 am
The rich connected kids are out, the other two are still inside. How long ’til Rafael and Esteban’s high-end lawyers blame the two who will be relying on public defenders? Any takers on a bet that these four won’t all get the same sentence in the end?
5 stlgtchitnrboots // Dec 10, 2008 at 8:18 am
¿la justicia, justicia, donde es justicia?
6 LA Latino // Dec 10, 2008 at 10:23 am
This is exactly the reason why we Latinos get a bad rap. Parents just look the other way while the kids are becoming thugs.
- How dare Villaraigosa call this thug ‘a nice kid’? That’s yet another thing him and Fabian have in common (besides the two of them doing Mirtala Salinas)
7 Sandogg // Dec 11, 2008 at 12:21 am
I wonder if the bail money came out of the $5.3-million “Friends of Fabian Nuñez” campaign accout?
8 theKaiser // Dec 11, 2008 at 1:04 pm
You can be sure it did. As so many other things.
9 El Cholo // Dec 15, 2008 at 4:46 pm
Now here’s a young man who is too dumb to truly appreciate the opportunities and social status he had inherited. Now he will always be officially known as “The Cat Stabber.” I wonder if these are learned traits from his father, “The Weasel…and official spokesman of “How to buy Louis Vuitton products with public money.” Hopefully TruthSquad will make a comment, and continue to tell us more lies.
10 DfD // Dec 15, 2008 at 10:54 pm
Judge gets glowing letters on Núñez son
By Kim Minugh
kminugh@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Dec. 14, 2008 | Page 1A
Los Angeles Democratic Assemblyman Kevin de León characterized Esteban Núñez as “considerate, gentle and well-mannered.” Former family friend Jennifer Sweeney described him as “an adoring, respectful, hard-working son and protective brother.”
“I have had the opportunity to watch him grow and develop into a decent and responsible young man,” wrote Mayor Villaraigosa, who said he has known the younger Núñez 10 years. “In my heart, I know Esteban Núñez as a young man of good and upright character.”
Garcia a ‘good, caring young man’
Garcia’s attorney, Paul Pfingst, argued in his plea for bail reduction that no eyewitnesses or co-defendants put Garcia at the scene of the stabbing. Additionally, Pfingst wrote, Jett’s girlfriend told police she recalled Jett saying Garcia ran from the fight.
The letters submitted on his behalf describe a hard-working teen who visits his grandmother several times a week. His arrest has shocked his large Catholic family.
“We are not only devastated and anguished by this incident, but know in our hearts and without a doubt that Rafael is incapable of committing these acts,” wrote Rebeca Hidalgo, Garcia’s aunt.
Garcia attended parochial schools and was a third-generation graduate of Christian Brothers. He is enrolled in college – the letters don’t specify where – and working at Caltrans, where his mother, Olga, is employed. She is undergoing treatment for breast cancer, wrote Pfingst, a former San Diego County district attorney.
Garcia’s father, Daniel Garcia Sr., is an administrative law judge at the California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board.
The Garcia family has deep roots in the Sacramento area and the local Catholic community, family and friends wrote. Rafael was raised in the spirit of service, with strong morals, they said.
“We can attest to the true core of this young man,” wrote his aunt, Norma Hidalgo-Minas, and his uncle, Phillip Harold Minas. “Rafael is a good, caring young man who has donated time and money to feed the hungry, participated in cancer awareness walks and other community service.”
Derek Norris, Garcia’s coach on a Land Park soccer team for three years, said Garcia set an example for players, keeping a level head even when teams clashed physically.
“I hope some day to have a son of my own with the same compassionate heart, strong work ethic and genuine loving spirit as Rafael Garcia,” he wrote.
Thomas’ former coach a fan
Thomas knew Núñez from CSU Los Angeles, according to attorney John Patrick Murphy, but had not met Garcia or Jett before the trip to San Diego.
Growing up in Elk Grove, Thomas attended Harriet Eddy Middle School and Sheldon High for a year before transferring to Laguna Creek High. He earned his diploma in 2007.
Jim Stephens’ first memories of the teen are of a gifted but lazy athlete. Stephens was the basketball coach at Laguna Creek High at the time, and recalls discouraging Thomas – known by friends as “LT” – from coming out for the varsity team because of his weak work ethic.
A week into tryouts, Thomas asked Stephens for another chance. The coach let him practice with the team, but told Thomas he would have to wait for a spot to open up before he could get a uniform.
“He was also told that he would have to work his way up from the bottom, something someone of his athletic ability had probably never done before,” Stephens wrote to the court. “From that point forward, I NEVER regretted giving LT that chance.”
He said Thomas became one of his favorite players and among the most committed he’s coached.
In an interview, Stephens – now girls basketball coach at Vista del Lago High in Folsom – said he was stunned by news of the charges.
“I have so many visual pictures of LT and they all involve his gentleness,” Stephens said. He remembers one tournament when Thomas sat with his younger brothers between games, feeding them grapes.
Other letters depict Thomas as a protective older brother, sometimes left to care for his siblings while his father, an Air Force veteran, worked at PG&E.
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Call The Bee’s Kim Minugh, (916) 321-1038. Bee researcher Sheila A. Kern contributed to this report.
11 Sandogg // Dec 16, 2008 at 9:17 am
OMFG, why are they being prosecuted? They should be canonized as saints!
12 LA Latino // Dec 16, 2008 at 12:56 pm
Move over, Mother Theresa! Here comes Saint Esteban!
What a disgrace!
13 DfD // Dec 20, 2008 at 9:09 am
Shouldn’t Esteban, on of corrupt Democrat Fabian Nunez, and his gang recieve the death penalty? I mean, they DID premeditate this most recent KILLING of Luis Santos…
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