Quadruple murder suspect confession heard

Campos was only 17 when the Jan. 11, 2002 murders took place but prosecutors charged him as an adult because of the crimes' severity. His age precluded prosecutors from seeking the death penalty as did their assumption Campos was not the ringleader of the gruesome killings.

In many ways, the trial is expected to be a repeat performance of Campos' accomplice, Alfredo Valenzuela: same prosecutor, same crimes, nearly an identical witness list. Prosecutor Al Giannini is also hopeful the outcome will be the same — four convictions of first-degree murder, robbery and the use of a firearm.

There is one glaring difference between Valenzuela and Campos, though. While Valenzuela used a "wrong place, wrong time" defense, Campos conceded shooting one of four weapons used in the quadruple homicide. He did tell police in a post-arrest interview the murders were not planned and he did not travel with the three others from Southern California specifically to kill Javier Vaca, 21, Jose Alberto Munoz-Lopez, 21, Emilio Alba-Flores, 20, and Roberto Ramos-Guerra, 18.

Valenzuela and Campos were reportedly drug runners for Jorge "Chico" Hernandez. After fighting with Vaca over a drug debt, Hernandez enlisted Valenzuela, Campos and Lazaro Perez to drive from Los Angeles to San Bruno to collect. By the end of their visit to Vaca, the four victims were dead and $250,000 worth of cocaine was left hidden in the kitchen.

The four suspects reportedly drove back to Southern California and parted company. Campos and Valenzuela were arrested within the month but the other two escaped. Perez remains at large and Hernandez was fatally shot in Mexico earlier this year.

Prior to opening statements, Judge Stephen Hall admitted Campos' police confession as evidence but banned prosecutors from referring to his nickname of "OG," or "original gangster."

Campos remains in custody on no-bail status. If convicted, he will spend the rest of his life in prison without parole.

The prosecution continues its case Monday morning.

Michelle Durand can be reached by e-mail: michelle@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: (650) 344-5200 ext. 104. What do you think of this story? Send a letter to the editor: letters@smdailyjournal.com.