Co-defendant sentenced in plea deal in slaying of standard Los Gatos enterprise proprietor – The Mercury Information
A Southern California man who played a role in the slaying last year of a popular Los Gatos bar owner was sentenced today to six years and eight months in state prison.
Robert Jacome, 27, pleaded guilty to robbery and accessory to murder in the slaying of Mark Achilli, 53, who was gunned down March 14 in broad daylight in the driveway of his upscale townhouse. Jacome must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence, according to Amy Cornell, spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office.
As part of the plea deal, Jacome has agreed that if called on by the prosecutors, he will testify later this year at the trial of the three men accused in the murder-for-hire plot. Prosecutors dropped murder charges against Jacome because of his cooperation and after investigators determined his knowledge of and involvement in the plot was limited.
A trial date is expected to be scheduled Wednesday for the three men charged with Achilli’s murder.
Facing murder charges are Esequiel “Paul” Garcia, 30, a San Jose mortgage broker and real estate agent who is accused of paying a bouncer to arrange the killing; Lucio Estrada, 25, of Burbank, who prosecutors say pulled the trigger; and Miguel Chaidez, 22, of San Jose, who allegedly helped arrange the killing.
Achilli, a longtime bartender and former owner of Mountain Charley’s and 180 Restaurant and Lounge, was shot seven times shortly before noon by an assailant in a black shirt and baseball cap.
Garcia, a graduate of Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, and Achilli knew each other eight months before the shooting; Garcia bought Mountain Charley’s and 180 Restaurant and Lounge from Achilli. The two men also were dating the same woman, Tessa Donnelly.
Prosecutors say that Jacome drove the trigger man, Estrada, north to Los Gatos but was oblivious of the plans to slay Achilli. Jacome’s testimony is expected to place Estrada at the crime scene.
A fifth defendant in the case, Daniel Chaidez, 24, a bouncer who worked for Garcia, pleaded guilty in January to charges of voluntary manslaughter, solicitation to commit murder and accessory to murder, according to the district attorney’s office. Daniel Chaidez, who is a cousin of defendant Miguel Chaidez, and who helped police since early in the investigation, was sentenced to 12 years and 8 months and must serve at least 85 percent of the sentence.
As part of the deal, Daniel Chaidez has also agreed to testify against the three remaining defedants, if called upon by prosecutors.
Contact Mark Gomez at mgomez@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5869.
