Jennifer Flores/ David Del Toro in court on Feb. 2, 2011 (L.A. County District Attorney's Office/KTLA) |
LOS ANGELES (KTLA) -- A former L.A. city fire captain was sentenced to 15 years to life in prison on Friday for killing a San Gabriel woman and dumping her naked body near his home.
55-year-old David Jaime Del Toro was convicted on March 17 of second-degree murder in the slaying of 42-year-old Jennifer Flores in August 2006.
Del Toro had pleaded not guilty to killing Flores.
Flores was found strangled to death and "beaten to a pulp" on a street less than a mile from Del Toro's home.
A blood trail led investigators to Del Toro's driveway.
Investigators found her blood inside his truck and home. They also found her clothing and car keys inside Del Toro's house.
Prosecutors claimed a drunk Del Toro killed Flores after she refused to have sex with him.
They said Del Toro broke her nose, jaw and ribs, and then choked her to death.
The defense countered that Del Toro was too drunk to have killed her. They said he had blacked out and gone to bed.
When he took the stand, Del Toro said he let Flores -- who had dated his former roommate -- stay overnight after learning she was homeless.
He admitted to arguing with her after he refused to let her borrow his truck, but denied injuring her.
Del Toro also conceded he could not remember large portions of the night because he had been drinking.
The defense filed a motion for a new trial, alleging jury misconduct, but it was denied last month by the judge.
Del Toro has been in jail for just over five years.
He retired from the Fire Department after his arrest.
55-year-old David Jaime Del Toro was convicted on March 17 of second-degree murder in the slaying of 42-year-old Jennifer Flores in August 2006.
Del Toro had pleaded not guilty to killing Flores.
Flores was found strangled to death and "beaten to a pulp" on a street less than a mile from Del Toro's home.
A blood trail led investigators to Del Toro's driveway.
Investigators found her blood inside his truck and home. They also found her clothing and car keys inside Del Toro's house.
Prosecutors claimed a drunk Del Toro killed Flores after she refused to have sex with him.
They said Del Toro broke her nose, jaw and ribs, and then choked her to death.
The defense countered that Del Toro was too drunk to have killed her. They said he had blacked out and gone to bed.
When he took the stand, Del Toro said he let Flores -- who had dated his former roommate -- stay overnight after learning she was homeless.
He admitted to arguing with her after he refused to let her borrow his truck, but denied injuring her.
Del Toro also conceded he could not remember large portions of the night because he had been drinking.
The defense filed a motion for a new trial, alleging jury misconduct, but it was denied last month by the judge.
Del Toro has been in jail for just over five years.
He retired from the Fire Department after his arrest.
