Three men who were found guilty last month for a series of MS-13 gang-related killings in Santa Maria will spend the rest of their lives behind bars.
A judge on Tuesday sentenced each of the men to hundreds of years in prison plus multiple life terms without the possibility of parole.
Jose Balmore Saravia Lainez was sentenced to 385 years-to-life followed by three life terms without the possibility of parole, Jose Narciso Escobar Hernandez was sentenced to 339 years-to-life followed by four life terms without the possibility of parole and Jose Ricardo Saravia Lainez was sentenced to 439 years-to-life followed by seven life terms without the possibility of parole.
A Santa Barbara jury last month found the men guilty of multiple counts of first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit murder, and gang conspiracy charges in connection with multiple killings in Santa Maria between 2013 and 2016.
Their trial was the second of two trials related to the case that included nine murder victims and 14 victims of attempted murder.
The first trial, involving five defendants, wrapped up in April 2022 with guilty convictions for Luis German Mejia Orellana, Juan Carlos Urbina Serrano, Marcos Manuel Sanchez Torres, Tranquilino Robles Morales, and Juan Carlos Lozano Membreno. All five also received life sentences.
