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State Supreme Court refuses to hear sword killing case

by City News Service • August 11, 2016

Jesus Canales (shown at his arraignment in 2013) and victim Lucy Preciado.
Jesus Canales (shown at his arraignment in 2013) and victim Lucy Preciado.

LOS ANGELES – The California Supreme Court refused Wednesday to hear the case of a man convicted of murdering his live-in girlfriend with a sword in front of her four children in Lancaster.

The state’s highest court denied a defense petition seeking review of the case against Jesus Humberto Canales, who was found guilty last year of first-degree murder for the July 12, 2008, stabbing death of Lucy Preciado.

In June, a three-justice panel from California’s 2nd District Court of Appeal rejected the defense’s contention that there was insufficient evidence to support his conviction.

The appellate court justices found in their June 1 ruling that the evidence “supports an inference of long-term planning activity and targeting of Lucy,” noting that the two had argued for a lengthy period the night the 26-year-old woman was killed.

“With Canales looming above her, Lucy warned Canales that he would regret it, giving him additional time to make the ‘cold, calculated judgment’ to strike her face and then lift the sword above his head and stab her in the chest and back,” the panel wrote in a 16-page ruling. “Canales testified that he was under the influence of methamphetamine and didn’t know what he was doing when he retrieved the sword and killed Lucy, but the jury was entitled not to believe his testimony.”

The appellate court justices also found that “the two stab wounds inflicted from above are consistent with a deliberate slaying rather than an indiscriminate frenzy, and evince a calculated and deliberate design to kill.”

“… Further, Canales’ behavior after he stabbed Lucy was not consistent with horror, emotion or remorse, and does not suggest a lack of a plan to kill,” the panel added, noting that Canales paused only to get his wallet and push the woman’s 9-year-old daughter onto the couch before driving away.

He left the children to “call 911, pull the sword out of Lucy’s back, and deal with the sheriff’s and paramedics,” according to the panel.

Along with murder, jurors convicted Canales of four counts of child abuse involving the children, who were between 7 months old and 9 years old at the time.

The children — three of whom the couple had together — were left unattended at the scene with their dying mother, according to Deputy District Attorney Seth Carmack, who prosecuted Canales.

Preciado’s then-9-year-old daughter called 911 to plead for help for her mother, telling a 911 operator that she didn’t want her mom to die.

Canales was subsequently profiled on the television show “America’s Most Wanted: America Fights Back.”

The El Salvador native managed to elude capture until homicide detectives developed information that he might be in a small town in the Jalisco, Mexico, area. He was detained in November 2013 by Mexican authorities, handed over to the U.S. Marshals Service, flown back to Los Angeles County and tried last year in Lancaster.

Canales is serving a 36-year-to-life sentence in state prison.

Previous related stories:

Man’s conviction upheld for girlfriend’s sword killing

Lancaster man sentenced for killing girlfriend with sword

Man convicted in Lancaster sword killing

Trial opens for man charged in 2008 sword killing in Lancaster

Trial ordered in 2008 sword killing

Man pleads not guilty in 2008 sword killing

Arraignment postponed in sword killing

Sword wielding murder fugitive arrested

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Filed Under: Crime/ Safety, Lancaster

3 comments for "State Supreme Court refuses to hear sword killing case"

  1. tom petty says

    August 13, 2016 at 6:40 am

    Was it ever proven he was on meth at the time of the crime? Because meth is a very powerful drug and you can do things on meth you would never do when not high.. I think we Americans don’t realize how much of an impact drugs and alcohol have on society and how high of a price we pay for it.

    I once snorted too much meth and blacked out.. then I awoke in a bush across from the Palmdale Sheriff Station.. I had no memory of how I got there.. It scared the hell out of me and I never did meth again.. what if I attacked someone while I was “out of it” ? imagine waking up in a jail cell and being told you stabbed 3 random people… but have no memory of it… i dont want that to happen to me.. so I quit all drugs and just drink beer these days… the point is.. meth is BAD and powerful.. its possible he would have never done this crime if not for meth… but who do we blame… the person or the drug?

  2. CaliPalmdale says

    August 11, 2016 at 3:05 pm

    He should have been put to sleep as soon as he got cought why keep him alive he don’t deserve it what a waste of taxpayers money to keep this criminals alive.

  3. Celly Cell says

    August 11, 2016 at 2:13 pm

    Are you kidding me? That’s what he gets!!!

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