Death of Luis Santos

On October 4, 2008, Esteban Núñez, Rafael Garcia, Leshanor Thomas, and Ryan Jett got into an altercation with Luis Santos near San Diego State University, leading to Jett fatally stabbing Santos. That same night, the four men drove back to Sacramento County, where they all resided, and disposed of all evidence of the crime. The men were arrested in December 2008 in Sacramento County, and driven back to San Diego County for booking. At arraignment, Jett was held without bail due to two previous felonies, including gun charges, while Núñez, Garcia, and Thomas had their bail set at $2 million. On July 2, 2010, Garcia and Thomas were placed on probation for three years. The crew identified with a biohazard icon, which all four of the men had tattooed on themselves. Yes on Prop. 17 campaign Proposition 17 was approved by voters in California during the November 2020 election. The proposition allows people convicted of felonies, but are out on parole, the ability to vote. Núñez was part of the Yes on Prop. 17 campaign. During his time behind bars, he claimed to have read three newspapers a day, and felt very up on current events by the time he left prison after his sentence was reduced by Arnold Schwarzenegger. == Controversies ==

, 66th Speaker of the California State Assembly and father of one of the perpetrators Fabian Núñez's influence Esteban Núñez was 19-years-old at the time of the killing, and 21-years-old at the time of conviction. Núñez pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and was sentenced to 16 years in prison. Núñez’s father, then California Assembly Speaker of the House, Fabian Núñez, was a close friend and staunch political ally of then governor Arnold Schwarzenegger. Fabian Núñez, his wife Maria, and his two other children flew down to San Diego to be with Esteban. He made a public statement stating "[w]e are confident our son Esteban will be cleared of the charges he is facing." One letter, on official stationery, came from Núñez's longtime friend, then Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa; one letter came on official stationery from Maria Elena Durazo, head of the L.A. County Federation of Labor; one came from California Assembly Republican Leader Michael Villines, and was sent by California State Assembly member Kevin de León. Ultimately, his bail was reduced to $1 million. Commutation by Schwarzenegger Just hours before he left office, and as one of his last official acts, Schwarzenegger commuted Núñez’s sentence by more than half, to seven years. Against protocol, Schwarzenegger did not inform Santos' family or the San Diego County prosecutors about the commutation. They learned about it in a call from a reporter. ==References==