DA claims greed behind 2003 and 2004 murders By Ruby Gonzales, Staff Writer Posted: 04/01/2011 07:37:15 PM PDT NORWALK - Prosecutors argued Friday that a South Whittier man fatally shot his girlfriend near a former workplace then, less than three months later, killed and robbed three men who were lured to his home. "All the victims were lured to a place where they would be vulnerable ... he was a wolf in sheep's clothing," Deputy District Attorney Michele Hanisee said during closing arguments in the trial of Cimarron Bell at Norwalk Superior Court.
Bell's appetite for money was the motive behind the murders, according to Deputy District Attorney Todd Hicks, who is the other prosecutor in the case. "This is about greed, the love and pursuit of money. Mr. Bell is not only a white collar criminal, he is a murderer. He kills for money," Hicks said.
Bell, 36, is charged with the Nov. 12, 2003 murder of Compton resident Ineka Edmondson who was discovered in her car in an industrial area in La Habra. She was shot three times in the head. Bell and his friend, Briaell Michael Lee, 28, of Los Angeles, are accused of killing Fernando Pina, 25, of Mexico and West Covina residents Mario Larios, 23, and Edgar Valles, 22, during a Jan. 27, 2004 robbery at the South Whittier house. The DA's Office is seeking the death penalty for both suspects. Lee will be tried later.
Hanisee said Edmondson wasn't sexually assaulted or robbed, her head was lying on a pillow, the driver's side window was open and she had been listening to music which showed she was there with someone she felt safe with. The prosecution argued that Bell thought his 22-year-old girlfriend was stealing money from him in a check-cashing scheme and was telling stories about him that was getting back to his wife. They also alleged the South Whittier murders were committed for financial gain and that it was an ambush. Larios wanted to buy a modified Chevrolet Monte Carlo from Bell for $8,500. But Bell had no intention of selling the car and planned to rob and kill prospective Latino buyers, according to Hicks.
The bodies of Larios, Valles and Pina were found three days later in Larios' leased Mercedes Benz that had been abandoned behind a shopping center in the 14500 block of Telegraph Road in La Mirada. Hanisee referred to phone records, receipts, documents, forensic evidence and ballistics as proof that Bell committed the killings. Blood and DNA from the three men were found in the South Whittier house along with patched bullet holes. She said Valles was shot dead in the kitchen by Lee while Larios reached the door where he begged for his life before being killed by Bell. She said a revolver found in Bell's garage was used to kill Edmondson, Larios and Pina. Valles was killed with a gun that was recovered from the Monte Carlo.
The defense chose to attack the credibility of Neysa Wyatt, another girlfriend of Bell who testified for the prosecution. Detectives got a break in the four killings when Wyatt started talking after she was arrested by federal authorities for credit card fraud. Connie Quinones, who is one of Bell's attorneys, said she was shocked the prosecution was now backtracking and telling the jury it didn't need Wyatt's testimony because of other evidence. She pointed the finger at Wyatt as being Edmondson's killer. Wyatt is a liar of the worst kind who would do anything for her benefit, was a willing participant in the check-cashing scheme and viewed Edmondson as a rival who was also taking money from her, according to Quinones. Quinones said Wyatt had several opportunities to call or tell police about the murders but said nothing until she was arrested for fraud. The defense also hinted the triple murders in South Whittier had nothing to do with a robbery.
"That man right there is a liar, a thief, a lowdown dirty womanizer. He's good at stealing money," Quinones said. But she pointed out that Bell was making $3,300 a month from his janitorial contracts and was also generating a lot of money from illegitimate means. She said he had all the money he needed and questioned why he would kill for $8,500. She said it was not her purpose to disparage anybody but said Larios was wearing a diamond bracelet, was carrying an unknown amount on him that day and had $1,600 in the Benz's glove box. She questioned why Larios would buy a custom Monte Carlo with custom rims if he wanted to buy a low profile gas-saving vehicle. "Something else is going on here. This is not about a car. Something happened here," Quinones said. "It wasn't a robbery, wasn't an ambush, they weren't lying in wait." Hicks objected several times. Jury deliberations will start Monday.
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