CDCR counselor murder: Proceedings focus on surveillance recordings before shooting
As a defense attorney continued his cross-examination of the lead investigator in the murder trial of California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation counselor Benny Alcala Jr. in 2022, attorneys replayed Target surveillance videos and speculated on who had the gun that killed Alcala.
Alcala, 43, was shot and killed on Aug. 24, 2022, near car charging stations by the Target on Stockdale Highway.
Robert Roberts, 30, was charged with Alcala’s murder and is facing one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree attempted robbery and one count of possessing a firearm as a felon.
Parra, 24, was later indicted by a grand jury. He is charged with murder and second-degree attempted robbery. Both pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Throughout the proceedings, the jury has seen video surveillance from multiple businesses in the Stockdale shopping center where Target is located and a shopping center on Rosedale Highway.
During Thursday’s proceedings, Roberts’ defense attorney, Deputy Public Defender Gordon Lake, pulled up screenshot photos from some of the surveillance videos that showed Parra wearing a white tank top around multiple businesses rather than a maroon shirt that he wore over the tank top.
Lake pointed out the only time Parra was seen wearing the maroon shirt was when Parra left Target with Roberts. Lake also pointed out Parra did not have his backpack with him during his time inside Target.
Lake asked the lead investigator, Max Hernandez with the Bakersfield Police Department, whether it was safe to assume that one of them was carrying a firearm. Hernandez said that, based on the investigation, one of them had a gun on his person.
The prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney John Allen, asked whether it was possible “there’s at least one gun between the two of them.” Hernandez responded that it was possible both defendants may have been armed. Hernandez did not say who he believed had a gun or not on the night Alcala was shot.
Parra’s defense attorney, Tim Hennessy, decided to defer his cross-examination of Hernandez for a later time.
Lake also called BPD Sgt. Carlos Arvizu for the alleged confession that Roberts made during his booking into Kern County Jail. Sgt. Arvizu said he did not include statements in his report that he heard about the booking process conducted by other BPD detectives.
In a previous proceeding, BPD Detective Alan Guardado said he mistakenly failed to include statements Roberts allegedly told him during the booking process. Guardado testified that he heard Roberts say that if he did do it, "he would do it in a place with less cameras” and “he did not mean to do it,” during a casual conversation.
Arvizu said he thought the detectives responsible for booking Roberts would include it in their reports. Arvizu said he told lead investigator Hernandez about what he heard about the booking process.
Matthew Iturriria, a Kern County District Attorney investigator, was recalled to testify again. Iturriria said he interviewed Parra to find out about the gun he owned and said Parra told him he kept it in a storage unit. However, Parra later told Iturriria that the gun was in Parra’s backpack.
The proceedings concluded Thursday with the prosecutor’s last witness for the day. But Allen said he still has more evidence to present in the case.
The trial will resume Friday morning in Kern County Superior Court.
