SANTA ROSA ? The plea entry hearing for Kelseyville resident Marco Antonio Meza, 17, was continued Friday in Sonoma County Superior Court in connection with an alleged gang-related shooting in Santa Rosa. Meza is scheduled to enter a plea May 15.
Meza is being tried as an adult on the murder charge. The case bypassed juvenile court and was filed directly in adult court because it is charged as a gang-related homicide, according to Sonoma County Chief Deputy District Attorney Spencer Brady.
“The law requires it. The complaint includes a gang allegation, which alleges that the murder occurred for the benefit of, at the direction of or in association with a criminal street gang, so it requires a direct filing in adult court,” Brady said.
Santa Rosa police arrested Meza in connection with the April 6 shooting of Santa Rosa resident Luis Suarez, 18, who died at the scene. Meza was in a car that matched the description of a car seen in the area of the shooting, according to a Santa Rosa Police Department press release. Santa Rosa resident Fernando Mendoza, 20, was also in the car, and was arrested on a charge of parole violation.
If Meza is convicted of all charges against him, he could receive a potential sentence of life in prison without parole, according to Brady. Meza”s defense attorney, Jonathan Steele, said the alternatives include a range of 25 years to life in prison, up to 65 years to life in prison.
Steele said Meza plans to enter a not-guilty plea.
“The alternative would be to plead guilty to first-degree murder in a case with special circumstances,” Steele said.
Meza faces two felony charges: murder, which carries a 25-to-life sentence, and participation in a criminal street gang. Firearm and gang enhancements are attached to the murder charge, along with a special circumstances enhancement that alleges the crime was gang-related. Brady said the firearm allegation could add 25 years to a potential sentence; the gang allegation could add 15 years.
Steele said he delayed entering a plea because he is waiting to obtain discovery information, including a Santa Rosa Police Department report finding that Meza was an active gang member.
“There”s a lot more work that needs to be done. I know things can look a certain way on the surface and there can be knee-jerk responses to the situation and it”s easy for a lot of people to want to rush to judgment and decide immediately. But a lot more information needs to come in before those kinds of conclusions should be made,” Steele said.
Steele said Meza”s family members describe him as a “hard-working young man who has held multiple jobs to try to help his family out.”
Contact Tiffany Revelle at trevelle@record-bee.com or call her directly at 263-5636, ext. 37.
