In a courtroom drama that unfolded in California, a convicted murderer was assaulted during his sentencing for the brutal killing of his girlfriend almost four years ago.
Euren Balbuena, 33, was handed a 33-year-to-life sentence for the murder of his 31-year-old girlfriend, Zaira Patino-Trejo, as announced by Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko in a news release on Thursday. The courtroom witnessed a brief scuffle during the reading of the victim impact statements.
The victim's mother, who herself had been stabbed twice in the attack, was delivering her impact statement when her husband, the victim's stepfather, lunged at Balbuena, according to the Ventura County Star. The report, citing a spokesperson for the DA's Office, stated that the stepfather managed to land at least one punch before bailiffs intervened to separate the two men.
Balbuena was found guilty by a jury on November 21, 2023, for the first-degree murder of Patino-Trejo, battery causing severe bodily harm, and assault with a deadly weapon against her mother, as per the DA's statement.
The authorities revealed that Balbuena and Patino-Trejo, who had a history of domestic violence in their relationship, were engaged in an argument in their Simi Valley apartment on February 27, 2020. Patino-Trejo's mother, Ariadna Avetisyan, visited the couple's residence after failing to reach her daughter and noticed signs of further abuse on her daughter's face, as reported by the DA's office.
Balbuena refused to let Patino-Trejo leave the apartment and armed himself with a kitchen knife, stabbing Avetisyan twice in the head before turning his rage towards her daughter. Balbuena stabbed Patino-Trejo over 30 times with multiple knives, resulting in her death.
Avetisyan managed to escape the apartment despite her injuries and alerted a passerby who called 911. The police arrived at the scene and apprehended Balbuena. He was charged with Patino-Trejo's murder three days post the attack.
Patino-Trejo was employed as a client associate for Merrill Lynch Wealth Management, as reported by the Simi Valley Acorn. "Zaira Patino-Trejo was such a vibrant young woman with a bright future," said Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Suttner in a statement on Thursday. "We cannot replace her unimaginable loss, but we pursued justice for Zaira and her family. We hope that this sentence brings some small relief to her family, knowing that Euren Balbuena was held accountable for her brutal murder."
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