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Conviction returned in death of drug dealer at LV motel

By Matt Pordum (contact)

Monday, Feb. 14, 2005 | 9:35 a.m.

A 32-year-old man was convicted Friday of robbing and killing a drug dealer in March at a Fremont Street motel.

Rene Gato is scheduled to be sentenced by District Judge Michael Cherry on April 4 for the robbery, burglary and murder of Enrique Caminero Jr. at the Capri Motel.

Prosecutors were able to place Gato at the scene after detectives recovered his DNA from a cigarette butt found on the floor of the motel room where Caminero's body was found. Gato's fingerprints were also found on a lamp post near the feet of Caminero.

For both the prosecutors and Gato's attorney, Chris Oram, the focus of the case rested on the testimony of the prosecutor's key witness, Theresa Gamboa.

At the beginning of the more than weeklong trial, Gamboa testified she, along with her boyfriend, Sally Villaverde, plus Gato and Roberto Castro rented a room at the Capri Motel, but she was not there when Caminero was killed.

Villaverde was convicted of the same charges as Gato and sentenced to consecutive terms of life without the possibility of parole by Cherry.

Castro pleaded guilty to one count of voluntary manslaughter. He will be sentenced by Cherry on March 8. He originally faced the same charges as Villaverde and Gato.

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