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Two Men Convicted For Killing Salesman
March 16, 2009SAN DIEGO -- Two men were convicted Monday of first-degree murder and other charges in the July 2005 shooting death of a salesman inside a City Heights liquor store during a robbery.
After six days of deliberations, a jury found Sadiq Saibu and Antonio Valentino, both 25, guilty in the July 13, 2005, killing of 35-year-old Doraid Toma.
Jurors reached verdicts on Friday, but Judge Charles Rogers ordered them sealed until Monday.
Valentino and Saibu face no-parole life prison terms. Saibu's sentencing is set for April 14, and sentencing for Valentino is scheduled for May 8.
Besides murder, Valentino was convicted of having killed the victim during the commission of an attempted robbery. Jurors also found that the defendant intentionally and personally discharged a handgun during the murder.
Valentino was also convicted of attempted murder for shooting at an employee at T & M Liquor and Market. Jurors also found him guilty of attempted robbery, auto theft and two counts of robbery.
Saibu was convicted of the special circumstance of murder during an attempted robbery, attempted murder, auto theft, and two counts each of attempted robbery and robbery. Jurors found that Saibu personally used a shotgun in the attempted heist, which happened around 4:45 p.m.
The defendants were each serving time in state prison on unrelated bank robbery charges when they were booked in the summer of 2007 as suspects in Toma's murder.
Valentino's friend at the time, Ken Buckley, testified that shortly after the killing, the defendants were trying to get him to help with a bank robbery when Saibu started making comments to Valentino about the liquor store shooting that was supposed to be a robbery.
"(Saibu) said, `You crazy? I didn't know you was going to run up and blow the guy's head off?"' Buckley testified.
Buckley said Valentino also mentioned the robbery-gone-bad as the two men were at a car wash.
"(Valentino) said, `I shot that dude in the head with my gauge (shotgun),"' Buckley testified.
The witness said he didn't know at the time that Toma had been shot twice with a pistol.
The victim was on a sales call when a thin man with a bandana over his face walked in and shot him. Toma was shot a second time as he lay on the floor and died at the scene.
The assailant then fired two rounds at an employee behind the counter, missing both times, before running out of the shop and down an alley off Copeland Avenue.
A second person was outside and assisted in the getaway, authorities said.
Police believe the killing may have been misdirected retaliation for a botched robbery the day before at the same store when a masked man pulled a shotgun on a clerk and demanded money.
Moments later, a second worker jumped the bandit from behind, tackled him and disarmed him, sending him fleeing empty-handed.
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