Trial begins for third man present at killing

Molly Ball

Wednesday, Oct. 13, 2004 | 9:26 a.m.

Steven "Little Mizz" Perry and two friends set out to rob a man because "that day, everybody pockets was just hurting," prosecutor Giancarlo Pesci told a jury on Tuesday, the first day of Perry's trial in the death of Benito Zambrano-Lopez.

The prosecutor, quoting a statement Perry made to police, repeated the quotation several times in his opening statement, emphasizing the wanton nature of the crime.

But Perry's lawyer, Ivette Maningo, said that while Perry was there when Zambrano-Lopez was fatally shot, he and his friends never had an agreement to rob the 48-year-old laborer.

Zambrano-Lopez was walking home with groceries on June 8, 2003, when he was shot several times near Vegas and Rancho drives.

"Because everybody's pockets were hurting, Benito Zambrano-Lopez was killed," Pesci said. "This man was punched and kicked and then shot brutally just because these men -- Tyrone Williams, Julius Bradford and Steven Perry -- all their pockets were hurting."

Pesci said that statement showed that the three teenagers set out to commit the robbery.

"The state does not argue that this man (Perry) shot the victim," Pesci said. "He was there as part of a conspiracy during which Tyrone Williams shot the victim. He's just as responsible, and he knows that."

Bradford and Williams were convicted in separate trials earlier this year.

Maningo said she would not argue with most of the prosecution's version of the facts, just Perry's role.

"Did Tyrone Williams shoot Mr. Lopez on June 8, 2003? The evidence will show that he did," she said. "Was Steve Perry there? Yes. But the evidence will show it's not as simple as that."

Maningo said the prosecution's portrait of a planned robbery was little more than "a rumor" and advised the jury not to believe everything witnesses will say in the coming days.

"Tyrone Williams' rash decision to shoot Mr. Lopez was his decision alone," she said.