Alberto Hinojosa Medina faces life in prison
By Sam Catanzaro
A state appeals court panel has upheld a man’s conviction for the murder of a UCLA student whose body was found following a fire set inside her Westwood apartment in an attempt to cover up the murder.
On June 12, a three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s claim that there were inaccuracies in the trial of Alberto Hinojosa Medina, who was found guilty in May 2018 of first-degree murder for the September 21, 2015, stabbing of Andrea DelVesco, 21.
The jury found true the special circumstance allegation of murder during the commission of a burglary.
Jurors also convicted Medina of one count of arson of an inhabited structure and one count of cruelty to an animal. DelVesco had a Chihuahua mix dog who had to be euthanized following the fire. In addition, the jury convicted Medina of two counts of first-degree burglary with a person present involving break-ins at DelVesco’s apartment in the 10900 block of Roebling Avenue and at a different apartment across the street.
The appellate court panel said that the DNA profile from bloodstains on a knife, among other DNA, was consistent with DelVesco’s DNA profile.
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office decided not to seek the death penalty against Medina, who was sentenced in September 2018 to life in prison without the chance of parole.
Co-defendant Eric Marquez also pleaded guilty to one count each of first-degree burglary and being an accessory after the fact and sentenced in June 2018 to nearly three years in prison.
