La Mesa

An El Cajon woman was sentenced Monday to life in state prison for her role in the killing of a La Mesa liquor store clerk whose face was doused with an insecticide during a hold-up.

Cheryl Ann Minichilli, 24, was given the term by San Diego Superior Court Judge Barbara Gamer in the Sept. 20, 1981, death of Hector Lopez, 20, of Jamul, at the Eastridge Liquor Store, where Minichilli used to work.

Minichilli and her boyfriend, Theodore Burtt II, now 21, were convicted of first-degree murder in 1982, but Minichilli’s conviction was overturned by an appeal court last year. Minichilli later pleaded no contest to kidnap for robbery and voluntary manslaughter charges. First-degree murder and robbery charges were dismissed.

Burtt, who was believed to have actually thrown the insecticide, is serving a life term without the possibility of parole.

Minichilli can be eligible for parole after she serves seven years of her life sentence. Gamer gave Minichilli credit for the four years she has already spent in jail since her arrest the day after the slaying.

Minichilli was believed to have driven Burtt to the liquor store and was present when Burtt splashed the liquid onto Lopez.

The insecticide was identified as chloropicrin, a highly toxic chemical that required firefighters at the scene to use special breathing equipment to enter the store to help Lopez. One police officer was overcome after hosing Lopez off.

The 4th District Court of Appeal overturned Minichilli’s conviction because of a change in state law about jury instructions on defendants who could be convicted on grounds that they aided and abetted a felony.