California – The 24-year-old man named S. Nava was found guilty in California of killing his 24-year-old girlfriend, A. Escobar, on Christmas Eve 2021. He will spend a long time in jail because of this horrible crime. The fact that Nava was found guilty after only one day of deliberation shows how strong the proof was against him.
Nava was found guilty of nine felonies, including first-degree murder, torture, kidnapping, aggravated mayhem, attack with a deadly weapon, having child pornography on her, and hitting a roommate. These charges show a pattern of controlling and violent behavior that led to the brutal crime against Escobar during a holiday season that should have been fun.
“Although this result cannot erase the immeasurable pain the defendant inflicted on the victims and their families, we hope that this brings some measure of closure to see him held accountable for his horrific crimes,” said Senior Deputy District Attorney D. Russell, who was in charge of the prosecution of the case.
The events that led to Escobar’s death started when Nava called 911 from their studio apartment to get help for his girlfriend who had been abused nonstop for days. Deputies arrived to a horrifying scene: Escobar had been killed and had many injuries, including cuts all over her body, a big cut on her head, and insulting words tattooed on her chest.
Investigators found tattoo equipment, baseball bats, a hammer, and a screwdriver in the flat. All of these tools were used in the murder. Also, videos on Nava’s cell phone that were taken hours before Escobar’s death showed him making fun of her and not caring at all about her pain.
It was Nava’s turn to defend himself during the hearing. He agreed that he hurt Escobar, but he said he didn’t mean to kill her. Reports say Nava explained what he did by saying he thought Escobar was cheating on him and wanted her to “feel the pain I felt.” In court, he gave a scary reason: “The more you hurt, the less likely you are to do it again.”
Nava’s past of abusing other partners was also found out during the investigation. One ex-girlfriend said that Nava severely abused her physically and emotionally, including locking her in a room and beating her. Nava stopped being abused in this way when she started dating Escobar.
The jury did not find Nava guilty of the special circumstance murder with torture charge, which would have meant a life sentence without parole. However, he could still get the maximum sentence of life in jail when he is sentenced again on December 4, 2024.
As the community and the families touched by this terrible case wait for the sentencing hearing, more people are thinking about how to protect against domestic violence and stop such horrible crimes from happening in the future.