A 42-year-old drug dealer gunned down the abusive boyfriend of one of his associates in a Stanton motel, a prosecutor told jurors Tuesday as the defendant’s attorney said his client had no motive to kill the victim.
Joel Brandon Martinez is charged with murder and conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of a gun by a felon, all felonies. He also faces a sentencing enhancement for discharge of a gun causing death.
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Co-defendants Gilbert Timothy Ramirez and Brandon Garet Iseminger have accepted plea deals. Ramirez was sentenced in March of last year to 10 years and four months in prison while Iseminger is awaiting sentencing.
Co-defendant Amy Lynn Black is awaiting trial on one count of murder and two counts of possession of a controlled substance with the intent to sell, all felonies.
Martinez is accused of fatally shooting 35-year-old Carlos Beltran Aguilar on the afternoon of Aug. 26, 2019, in the Villa Motel, 11672 Beach Blvd.