Southern California man gets life for mistaken-ID killings

NEWPORT BEACH, Calif. (AP) — A person who was convicted of killing a perceived romantic rival and a lady he mistook for his ex-girlfriend at a Southern California condominium was sentenced Friday to 2 consecutive life sentences with out probability of parole.

Jamon Buggs, 47, of Huntington Seashore, was convicted final month of two counts of first-degree homicide with particular circumstances and different crimes for the April 20, 2019, slayings.

Prosecutors mentioned Jamon Buggs shot Darren Partch, 38, and Wendi Miller, 48, in a match of jealousy.

Buggs’ protection attorneys by no means disputed that he killed the pair. As an alternative, they argued that Buggs dedicated the slayings within the warmth of ardour and needs to be convicted of a lesser cost.

At his sentencing, relations of the victims applauded as Buggs was led out of the courtroom, the Orange County District Lawyer’s Workplace mentioned in an announcement.

“Darren and Wendi had been killed for completely no cause,” DA Todd Spitzer mentioned. “The monster who shot them within the head didn’t care about their lives or the lives that had been shattered into one million items the second he pulled the set off.”

The Orange County Register mentioned Buggs apologized to the household of the victims earlier than he was sentenced.

“I’m sorry this occurred, I apologize, I stand accountable for what I did,” Buggs mentioned. “I sinned and I ask you for forgiveness.”

Earlier than the listening to, a choose dominated that Spitzer violated the state’s new racial justice regulation when, throughout a gathering over whether or not to hunt the demise penalty for Buggs, the DA requested concerning the race of Buggs’ earlier girlfriends.

Spitzer argued race was a difficulty as a result of Buggs mistakenly thought Partch was relationship his ex-girlfriend, who’s white.

Spitzer has mentioned Buggs was obsessed together with his ex-girlfriend and would have stored killing perceived rivals if he hadn’t been arrested.

Buggs had twice beforehand threatened Partch, warning him to keep away from his girlfriend, and Partch agreed despite the fact that he denied having a romantic relationship together with her, prosecutors mentioned.

Prosecutors mentioned Buggs, a private coach, killed Miller, who was from Costa Mesa, after she had given Partch a experience again to his Newport Seashore condominium, authorities mentioned.

“The protection argued this was a case of mistaken id as a result of Buggs’ ex-girlfriend had blonde wavy hair like Wendi Miller and the murders had been dedicated in a darkish room in the course of the evening,” the DA’s workplace assertion mentioned.

Some 18 hours after the killings, Buggs climbed to a balcony and tried to interrupt into an Irvine condominium he wrongly believed belonged to a chiropractor he suspected was additionally having a relationship together with her ex-girlfriend, prosecutors mentioned.

He was noticed and fired a shot earlier than fleeing however he returned the subsequent evening. Police had been watching the condominium and arrested him after a high-speed chase and a prolonged neighborhood search, authorities mentioned.