An emotionally charged courtroom scene unfolded during the sentencing hearing of a California man convicted of murdering his girlfriend.
Euren Balbuena, 33, was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison for the brutal murder of his girlfriend, 31-year-old Zaira Patino-Trejo, back in 2020, per the Ventura County Star.
The emotional impact of the trial reached a boiling point when the victim's stepfather attacked the killer during the proceedings.
Ventura County District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced the sentencing of Balbuena, who had stabbed Patino-Trejo to death in front of her mother, Ariadna Avetisyan, during a domestic dispute in Simi Valley. The incident occurred on February 27, 2020, when a heated argument escalated, leading Balbuena to brutally attack and murder Patino-Trejo.
During the trial, prosecutors revealed the horrifying details of the crime, stating that Balbuena had stabbed and slashed the victim more than 30 times, with some estimates suggesting up to 95 wounds. Mom Avetisyan was also a victim of the attack, sustaining a head injury.
During the sentencing hearing, Avetisyan was delivering a poignant victim impact statement, sharing the profound impact of her daughter's loss on their family. In a moment of grief and anger, her husband - Patino-Trejo's stepfather - lunged at Balbuena, managing to land at least one punch before courtroom officials intervened to break up the brawl.
A photograph from the aftermath of the attack showed a handcuffed and bewildered Balbuena being restrained by a court official, the New York Post reports.
The stepfather was promptly removed from the courtroom, and the impact statements resumed approximately an hour later.
As of the latest report, county sheriff's officials had not filed a case related to the courtroom incident with the District Attorney's office.
Balbuena had been convicted in November of first-degree murder, battery causing great bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon against Patino-Trejo's mother. The deadly altercation unfolded when Avetisyan arrived at the couple's Simi Valley apartment after not hearing from her daughter and noticing signs of abuse on her face.
Balbuena, with a history of domestic violence, prevented the mother and daughter from leaving the apartment. He attacked Avetisyan, slashing her across the face before brutally assaulting Patino-Trejo with multiple knives, ultimately leading to her tragic death.
After witnessing her daughter's horrifying murder, Avetisyan managed to flee the scene while profusely bleeding and called 911.
"Zaira Patino-Trejo was such a vibrant young woman with a bright future," said Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Suttner in a statement. "We cannot replace her unimaginable loss, but we pursued justice for Zaira and her family. We hope that this sentence brings some small relief to her family, knowing that Euren Balbuena was held accountable for her brutal murder."
Our thoughts go out to Patino-Trejo's loved ones at this time.
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