Teens take plea deal in killing of 16-year-old girl

Kim Smith

Tuesday, Nov. 6, 2001 | 9:31 a.m.

Two teenagers accused of shooting a 16-year-old girl to death because she bad-mouthed their gang have entered plea agreements.

Isvi Fabila gave the equivalent of a no-contest plea Monday, admitting that prosecutors have enough evidence to convict her of second-degree murder and accessory to murder in the death of Esmeralda Martinez, 16.

One of her co-defendants, Eduardo Cisneros, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit murder and accessory to murder with the intent to promote a gang.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Frank Coumou said the plea agreement calls for Fabila to get two 10- to 25-year prison sentences. It will be up to District Judge John McGroarty, however, to decide next month if those sentences will run at the same time or back-to-back.

Cisneros faces a two- to 10-year sentence on the conspiracy charge, and McGroarty will decide if a second sentence of two to 10 years will be served consecutively or concurrently.

Had the pair gone to trial this week and been convicted, they could have faced multiple life sentences.

Coumou said the defendants went to Martinez's house with some friends after hearing she had made negative comments about their gang.

Police maintain Fabila, 17, knocked on Martinez's front door while Cisneros, 16, and Richard Macias, 18, who was carrying a 9 mm handgun, remained on her driveway.

The girls argued, and gunfire erupted. One of the 12 bullets fired hit Martinez in the chest, killing her instantly.

Macias is scheduled to go to trial in March, and a fourth person, Miguel Jimenez-Arambula, 23, is already serving a two- to eight-year sentence for his part in the event.