In a somber courtroom in Santa Ana, California, justice was finally served in a case that has captivated and horrified the local community. Miguel Angel Orellana, a 23-year-old man from Anaheim, has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the fatal stabbing of a Tustin man, David Nakaki, aged 62. This tragic event unfolded more than four years ago, leaving a community in mourning and a family grappling with an irreplaceable loss.
The sentencing marks the culmination of a legal journey that sought to provide closure to a case as cold-hearted and ruthless as they come. According to statements from the Orange County District Attorney’s office, Orellana’s actions on that fateful night were the epitome of needless violence. After an attempted robbery turned deadly, Orellana left a family to grieve endlessly over a life taken too soon.
The incident occurred on December 9, 2019, when Nakaki was out for an evening walk in his neighborhood. The encounter with Orellana, who demanded money, quickly escalated when Nakaki revealed he had none on him. Orellana, rather than walking away, chose violence, fatally stabbing Nakaki and fleeing the scene in a vehicle driven by his girlfriend, Erika Pineda, 29, of Santa Ana. Pineda faces charges related to the incident, including one felony count of conspiracy to commit a robbery and one felony count of accessory after the fact, with a potential maximum sentence of over five years.