A 34-year-old man has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison for his role in the 2019 killing of Eli Gamaliel Victoriano-Che, a case authorities say stemmed from a revenge plot involving drugs and robbery.
Ricardo Martin Campos was convicted in March of first-degree murder, with an enhancement for firing a gun that caused death. On Friday, Orange County Superior Court Judge Richard King imposed the maximum sentence after rejecting a request from Campos’ defense to avoid the consecutive 25-year enhancement for firearm use.
The case began when Victoriano-Che, 28, got into an altercation with Johanna Cecilia Leon-Pateyro at a Motel 6 in Garden Grove. Prosecutors say Victoriano-Che made unwanted advances toward her, prompting her to try and have him removed. When police were called, Victoriano-Che left for his RV parked near Dale Street and Augusta Drive in unincorporated Anaheim.
Leon-Pateyro, angry that police had been involved—especially since she was carrying methamphetamine—called Campos and others to retaliate and rob Victoriano-Che. According to prosecutors, the group arrived at the RV, forced their way in at gunpoint, and Campos shot Victoriano-Che in the head as he attempted to comply with demands for cash.
Campos then fled to Texas, where he was arrested in 2022 and extradited to California. He had deactivated his social media accounts after the shooting, which prosecutors said was evidence of his guilt. Cell phone tower data also placed him near the scene.
Leon-Pateyro pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in 2020 and received 11 years in prison. One co-defendant, Daniel Flores, allegedly drove Campos away from the scene out of fear. Another co-defendant, Rey Jesus Najera, is awaiting trial on murder charges.
Campos’ attorney, Fred Fascenelli, argued that the crime was fueled by drug use and questioned the reliability of testimony from co-conspirators. He said no clear eyewitness identified Campos as the shooter and claimed Leon-Pateyro received a lenient plea deal in exchange for cooperation.
Prosecutor Nick Thomo maintained Campos was the shooter, highlighting messages exchanged between Campos and Leon-Pateyro and the planning involved.
Campos will now serve his sentence in state prison. Najera’s trial is set to resume on October 3.
