SANTA ANA, Calif.—A 31-year-old man was convicted March 26 of stabbing two men in apparently unprovoked attacks months apart in Anaheim.
Erik Mejia Ureno was acquitted of two counts each of attempted murder, but was convicted of two felony counts of assault with a deadly weapon. Jurors also found true sentencing enhancements for inflicting great bodily injury on the victims. Jurors rejected sentencing enhancements for attempted premeditated murder, which would have led to a life sentence.
Mr. Ureno was scheduled to be sentenced June 28.
“We’re here today because the defendant callously stabbed two completely unsuspecting people in Anaheim and for no apparent reason,” Deputy District Attorney Michael Briante told jurors in his opening statement of the trial.
Mr. Ureno stabbed Jose Pena on March 7, 2021, while the victim was taking a walk on a Sunday morning, Mr. Briante said. Mr. Pena was walking near Vermont Avenue and Harbor Boulevard at about 6:40 a.m. when he could hear someone running behind him, Mr. Briante said.
So Mr. Pena stepped aside to give the man room to pass him, but instead Mr. Ureno shouted an expletive and “then stabs Mr. Pena two times in the back,” Mr. Briante said.
Mr. Pena said the man who attacked him was bald, white and about 6 feet tall, Mr. Briante said. The assailant was wearing all black, Mr. Briante said.
Police recovered surveillance video from a nearby gas station putting Mr. Ureno, who lives in the area, near the crime scene about 20 minutes before the attack, Mr. Briante said.
While police were talking to a clerk, who said he recognized Mr. Ureno from the neighborhood, Mr. Ureno walked in at about 9:30 a.m. “sweating and walking with a rigid gait and says something to the effect, ‘You guys looking for me,”’ Mr. Briante said.
The second stabbing occurred at about 7:45 p.m. June 29, 2021, Mr. Briante said.
Michael Werner was walking home “like he did every night” when he saw the defendant staring at him, appearing to hide something behind his leg, Mr. Briante said. The defendant attacked Mr. Werner, stabbing him in the chest, the prosecutor said.
A witness said the assailant was wearing a gray ball cap and ran away, Mr. Briante said.
Surveillance video showed the attacker running near the railroad tracks in the area near 600 E. Ball Road, Mr. Briante said. Police found the ball cap with Mr. Ureno’s DNA on it, the prosecutor added.
Mr. Ureno’s attorney, Hans Corteza of the Orange County Public Defender’s Office, cast doubt on the prosecution’s case, saying police got the wrong suspect.
He said police attempted to get Mr. Pena to identify Mr. Ureno as the attacker.
“Mr. Pena was telling them, ‘no, it was a white guy,”’ Mr. Corteza said.
Mr. Werner told police his attacker had “long hair, down to his neck,” Mr. Corteza said.
When shown a photo line-up that included Mr. Ureno, the victim did not identify the defendant as his attacker, Mr. Corteza said.
“It’s not going to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Ureno did this,” Mr. Corteza said.
Mr. Ureno has a lengthy criminal history that includes a misdemeanor conviction May 21, 2021, for assault with a deadly weapon in another knife attack. Mr. Ureno also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor criminal threats.
Mr. Ureno also pleaded guilty in August of 2021 to failing to register as a sex offender, a misdemeanor. Mr. Ureno was previously convicted of exposing himself to others in public, according to court records.
Mr. Ureno pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2021, to a misdemeanor count of carrying a dirk or dagger.
He also pleaded guilty Aug. 18, 2021, to a felony count of assault with a deadly weapon and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury.
