Two men who ordered a college student into the trunk of his own car, shot him dead apparently for hanging out with people the killers didn’t like and then dumped his body in the San Gabriel River near Long Beach’s El Dorado Park were sentenced to 25 years to life each after pleading guilty to first-degree murder, authorities said.
Rueben Alexander Ortega, 26, of Lakewood and Edgar Miguel Espinoza, 25, of Downey entered their pleas in Long Beach Superior Court on Thursday, Aug. 3 — seven years to the day after the crimes took place. They were immediately sentenced, prosecutor John Chang said. Ortega and Espinoza ordered the victim, 19-year-old Nick Cubas of Downey, into the trunk, tied him up, drove him to an alley and Espinoza shot him multiple times with a shotgun at close range, according toOrtega and Espinoza then drove Cubas’ body south to Long Beach and dumped it at the San Gabriel River near Willow Street, authorities said.
“Pull the trigger,” the man on the recording was heard saying, Valenzuela testified. “Pull the trigger. Dome him.” Both men incriminated themselves during recorded jailhouse conversations, Valenzuela testified, adding that Ortega seemed to brag, laugh and joke about the killing.