Windy at times with light rain giving way to a few showers this afternoon. High 58F. Winds S at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of rain 70%. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph..
Windy with evening showers evolving to a steady, soaking rain overnight. Potential for heavy rainfall. Low 54F. Winds S at 25 to 35 mph. Chance of rain 100%. Rainfall around a half an inch.
Updated: December 24, 2025 @ 3:55 am
SALINAS — A San Jose man has been sentenced to 60s years to life in prison for a 2019 murder of a Salinas man, Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine Pacioni announced Thursday.
Luis Enrique Lamas-Escalante was previously convicted of first-degree premeditated, willful and deliberate murder in the shooting death of 38-year-old Santos Barriga.
Escalante was also convicted of two counts of assault with a firearm and other firearm enhancements.
In July of 2019, Escalante moved to Salinas to live with the victim and his family but ultimately moved back to San Jose, because he did not pay the promised rent.
The victim refused to return a bag of Escalante’s clothes because of the unpaid rent.
On Aug. 1, 2019 at 11 p.m., Escalante armed himself with a gun, drove to Salinas and went to the victim’s house unannounced while the victim and his family were watching movies, prosecutors said.
Escalante confronted the victim about the bag of clothes and challenged the victim to a fight.
Prosecutors said the victim tried to calm Escalante down, but Escalante got increasingly angry and pulled a firearm.
The victim, who was standing by the front door of the house, grabbed his wife and stepson and turned to help them get back inside, and Escalante fired several shots.
The victim was hit by the gunfire and died less than an hour later at the hospital.
Escalante’s conviction came at the conclusion of a two-week jury trial.
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