EDDIE LEAL: 2011 Head of Cops for Kids program murdered

There is nothing any of us can do to keep people from resenting us. If you tried to get along with everybody, somebody would hate you just for that. Mahatma Ghandi was killed by a Hindu radical for trying to make peace between the Hindus of India and the Muslims of Pakistan. He was murdered for supporting nonviolent resolution. Eddie Leal was an extremely generous, courteous, soft spoken, polite and very affectionate young man. The words needed to describe all the positive attributes for Eddie are limitless. Eddie was born on July 3, 1987 in Hemet, California to his parents Celia and Ralph Leal. Eddie loved to give back to the community where he was born. 

Eddie was loved by the San Jacinto community. Eddie and his father had converted their garage into a training program for boxers to help keep boys out of gangs and donated thousands of hours to the project. The program trained numerous kids and was attended by police officers and firefighters. The boxers were known as “Team Leal” at competitions. There were numerous times he had to chase off gang members who wanted to recruit or disrupt the program. They stole his car.  Eddie was busy with training and operating the program, so he didn’t have a lot of free time. When a young woman on Facebook, by the name of Rebecca Santhiago, took interest in him, he responded. She invited him to meet at a park late at night and he agreed to meet her. 

On May 30, 2011, Eddie Leal, age 23, arranged to meet a woman he had known as Rebecca on Facebook.
Eddie drove his Toyota Corolla to Ivy Crest Drive in San Jacinto, where he was told a young man would meet him and take him to Rebecca. Investigators felt Eddie was enamored by the image of a beautiful woman and was hoping to meet her and create a lasting connection. When Eddie arrived 17-year-old Manuel Guzman Jr. led Eddie to Roanoke Street where Guzman lived. Guzman walked behind the car and shot Eddie multiple times. The car rolled forward and crashed into a parked car. Eddie managed to dial “91” before he died. Guzman walked to the passenger side and continued to fire. Guzman’s father drove him to Los Angeles the next morning to dispose of the murder weapon. ​ A yearlong investigation involved looking into the “Rebecca” Facebook profile. They traced its origin back to Manuel Guzman Jr.’s computer. Manuel Guzman had created the fake profile to lure men. Some felt it was simply a “thrill killing” while Manuel stated his intention was to rob the men to support his drug habit.
 
An Investigator responded, “We wish we could make sense of this senseless death. His life ended in a tragic murder. There are no adequate words to describe the anger, grief and disparity of the family. Feeling happy doesn’t seem right anymore.” Judge Michael Donner stated, “This is one of the most disturbing trials this court has had to preside over. In every other case where violence was inflicted upon a victim, there was at least a reason,” Donner said. “Here, it was a random victim, and this was essentially a thrill kill.”
 
Guzman was convicted in February after a jury deliberated for less than a day.
“Having seen many horrific cases, I have to say, this is probably one of the most senseless and callous murders I’ve seen as a prosecutor,” Supervising Deputy District Attorney Sam Kaloustian said. “This individual took the life of a young man for no reason, almost as sport.”
 
Manuel Guzman Jr. was sentenced to Life in Prison without the possibility of parole. This is the heaviest sentence you can give a juvenile.   October 18, 2013 at 8:05 p.m. A San Jacinto man was sentenced Friday, Oct. 18, to consecutive life terms for a “thrill kill” when he lured and murdered a San Jacinto boxer by posing behind a fictional woman’s Facebook page.
Three other men responded to the Facebook profile but backed out because they became suspicious when no phone number was provided. Family members said Eddie was too trusting and believed he had a connection with the woman he met online.
 
In his defense, Manuel Guzman Jr. read a long letter about his troubled childhood, his battle with demons and finding religion. He blamed everyone from his family, his teachers, “The Devil” and God for his mistakes in life and swore he was a good person. Guzman talked about growing up in LA and coming to San Jacinto as a child, when he embarked on a destructive path. He began using drugs and drinking when he was 12. He slept in abandoned houses and stole from others to fuel his drug habits. He said he started a Facebook account “for jokes” and then started contacting people on Facebook to rob them for drug money. On the night he killed Leal, he said he was heavily intoxicated and planned to rob him for money to go on vacation with his father. “Looking at these catastrophic actions, it’s clear the defendant poses a serious risk to society,” Donner said. “His inability to control emotions and finding religion is not impressive to the court.”
Site of the murder
 
Guzman’s attorney cited a Supreme Court case that ruled life in prison without parole is cruel and unusual punishment for a juvenile. Judge Donner said though the killing occurred when Guzman was 17, (so he was a few months away from being eligible for the death penalty), life in prison was still appropriate. Guzman’s criminal record for the past four years, included robbery, criminal threats, felony evading and DUI hit-and-run. A probation report, described “Guzman as a callous soul and heartless.” The Honorable Judge Donner stated, “Looking at these catastrophic actions, it’s clear the defendant poses a serious risk to society. His inability to control emotions and finding religion is not impressive to the court.”
 
Remember last week when I commented, “No situation is so bad that it can’t get worse…” As the investigation into Eddie Leal’s death progressed, it was discovered that Eddie’s father was going by an alias. When he gave the investigators his real name, they realized there was a warrant for his arrest in a 30-year-old murder. 

    On August 8, 1982, in a park, at 1500 Banida Avenue, in Rowland Heights, California, 20-year-old Richard Hernandez and 19-year-old Daniel Ontiveros were in the park at 1:00 a.m. visiting with two female friends when they were approached by three males who challenged them to a fight.  Both young men declined to fight and continued talking to the two women.

A few minutes after the initial confrontation, the three suspects attacked the two victims with weapons. Richard Hernandez was beaten, stabbed, and later died from his injuries.  Daniel Ontiveros, who was beaten and struck in the head, suffering permanent brain damage. The 3 suspects were identified but they fled to Mexico.
Rowland Heights Park

Gilbert Leal was one of those suspects. He returned to the U.S. as Ralph Leal and started a new life, where he married, had two sons and now volunteered his time to keep adolescents out of gangs. 

The 3 suspects:
Gilbert Leal was arrested July 20, 2012, in Riverside County. During the investigation of his son’s murder, the family’s prints were taken. His brother, a 2nd suspect, was now deceased. Detectives tracked down the third suspect, Marelina Corona and arrested him Nov. 29, 2012. He was living in Fontana under a different name. Corona was convicted of an additional knife assault in 1982, unrelated to the case Gilbert Leal was involved in.
Gilbert Leal                                                                                    Marcelina Corona  Gilbert had hit the man with a stick and Marcelina stabbed him with a knife. 31 years after the incident, Leal and Corona were sentenced for 8 years for manslaughter. The victims’ families were upset that both men received relatively light sentences.  After the tragic murder of bantam boxer Eddie Leal, his mother lost her son and her husband. A sudden end to a close family. Tragedy, karma, grief…, tears.  Make good karma!

Thanks for listening,

Frank
Upcoming Events:

February 27, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank Weber, will be presenting from 7:00 to 8:00 p.m. to the Forensic Science class of Minnesota Infinity Online school. The True Crime mystery author will be speaking on his forensic work, including forensic interviewing and the techniques used in criminal cases.  Thursday, March 3, 2022, Forensic Psychologist, Frank Weber, will be at Lake City Public Library, speak on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.  Frank has profiled cold case homicides for the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and narrated an investigative show on the Oxygen channel titled Murdered by Morning. His newest True Crime novel, Burning Bridges, examines the life and demise of a psychopath in central Minnesota. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). Frank will be at the library from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. signing and selling books.  The Lake City Public library is located at 201 South High Street, Lake City, Minnesota, 55401.   Thursday, March 10, 2022, Frank will be at 523 Trading Post, from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. speaking on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Burning Bridges examines the life and demise of a psychopath in central Minnesota. Learn about new forensic techniques and find out what they get wrong on crime shows and movies. The 523 Trading Post is located in Dirks’ Furniture Building.  The address is 523 Trading Post, 821 East Lincoln Avenue, Olivia, Minnesota, 56277.  Monday, March 21, 2022, Frank will be at Belgrade Great River Regional Library, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. speaking on the writing of True Crime, forensic work and his latest book. Burning Bridges examines the life and demise of a psychopath in central Minnesota. Frank will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend). The  Library is located at 324 Washburn Avenue, Belgrade, Minnesota, 56312. ​  Tuesday, March 29, 2022, Frank will be speaking at the Kiwanis 100 year celebration 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event will take place from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the Broadway Ballroom at 115 30th Avenue East, Alexandria, Minnesota, 56308.  Frank will sign and sell books both prior to speaking and after speaking. He will demonstrate a lie detector test (volunteer a friend), and share what they get right and wrong in shows and movies.  Author and forensic psychologist Frank Weber will be the presenting author for a virtual “Brown Bag” author visit on Monday, April 4, 2022, 12 noon to 1 pm. Frank will present on his latest book, Burning Bridges, an incredible true crime mystery centered around a Bemidji State College student’s search for her biological father which leads to the examination of the life and demise of a psychopath in central Minnesota. Frank will also speak about new forensic techniques and the writing of True Crime as a genre, and what they get wrong on crime shows and movies. This will be a virtual event, presented live from the Friends of the Brainerd Public Library Facebook page.  
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