Plea delayed in West Side shooting

Greg Risling

NEWPORT BEACH -- For the fourth time in as many months, the arraignment

of an 18-year-old man suspected of blindly gunning down a pregnant Costa

Mesa girl in May was postponed.

Eduardo Yepez Guerrero will have to wait until Nov. 30 before he can

answer to charges that he shot and killed 15-year-old Yuridia Balbuena.

The victim and her unborn baby were killed when Guerrero allegedly fired

several shots into a Wallace Avenue garage where the girl and her family

lived.

Although Guerrero hasn’t formally entered a plea, Orange County Deputy

Dist. Atty. Paul Odwald said it isn’t unusual to have lengthy delays.

“The delay isn’t uncommon in homicide cases,” he said. “We are still

getting a lot of information from the police department that hasn’t all

been given to the defense attorney yet. It is taking time.”

Acting on anonymous tips, police arrested Guerrero in July.

Police believe Guerrero, a purported gang member, shot into the Balbuena

home because he saw graffiti belonging to a rival gang in the West Side

neighborhood.

Balbuena, who was seven months pregnant at the time, died at the scene.

Her baby couldn’t be saved by doctors after the shooting.

Police searched for the girl’s killer for several weeks and offered a

$25,000 reward for information about the murder. Anonymous callers led

police to Guerrero.

Left to be determined before the series of court dates is whether

Guerrero should face the death penalty. Odwald hopes that decision won’t

be too far off in the future.

“We’d like to decide before a preliminary hearing happens,” he said.