From San Mateo Daily Journal
Hedlin brothers guilty of murder
By Michelle Durand
Two brothers charged with fatally shooting a South San Francisco man and wounding three others in a retaliatory gun attack two years ago were both convicted yesterday of first-degree murder.
A jury deliberated two days before convicting Shawn Paul Hedlin, 32, of Hayward and Brian Dean Hedlin, 28, of San Bruno in the Jan. 31, 2005 attack that left Gregorio Chicas, 22, dead and three others injured.
The brothers were also found guilty of two counts of attempted murder and false imprisonment. Shawn Hedlin, the alleged gunman, is also charged with possession of a firearm.
About 3:05 a.m. Jan. 31, 2005, South San Francisco police responded to a report of shots fired at an apartment in the 600 block of Third Lane and discovered Chicas dead and another man and a woman suffering from gunshot wounds. They survived their injuries. A second woman suffered a broken back after jumping out a window to escape the attack.
During the trial, prosecutor Sean Gallagher painted the crime as a retaliation murder, in which Shawn Hedlin was the triggerman but both brothers culpable of killing Chicas and wounding his girlfriend, Jeanette Briones, 17, and Eduardo Zapparolli, 24, and Nelia Lopez, 20.
Gallagher argued Brian Hedlin though Zapparolli framed him for a hit-and-run accident in San Bruno, causing him to spend nine months in jail. In January 2005, Zapparolli allegedly ran into Hedlin's girlfriend at a party and spilled alcohol on their child. Weeks later, the Hedlin brothers broke into Zapparolli's apartment and began shooting. Chicas died, the others were shot and Lopez leapt from the second-story bathroom window.
Police arrested the Hedlins in February 2005 but they didn't head to trial until earlier this month.
Shawn Hedlin claimed self defense in the incident while Brian Hedlin's defense pointed the finger at his brother.
The jury asked few questions during deliberations which started Tuesday and returned its verdicts yesterday afternoon.
The brothers each face a second strike on their criminal record and remain in custody on no-bail status pending sentencing. The pair return to court Tuesday for trial on their prior convictions and to set a sentencing date.
Shawn Hedlin faces approximately 80 or 90 years to life in prison while Brian Hedlin faces 55 or 60 years to life.
The younger Hedlin also has a pending case for allegedly attacking a correctional officer with another inmate while awaiting his murder trial.
E-mail Michelle Durand at michelle@smdailyjournal.com |
