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Yajayra Dominguez, 32, was found guilty Friday of second degree murder in the death of Ashley Calanche, who died instantly September 27, 2013 when she was shot once in the head. |
The woman who gunned down an aspiring Santa Paula photographer during a confrontation that stemmed from a Facebook argument between the victim and the shooter’s friend is now facing 40 years to life in prison.
Yajayra Dominguez, 32, was found guilty Friday of second-degree murder in the death of 21-year-old Ashley Calanche.
On September 27, 2013, Calanche, an aspiring photographer, had missed her class at Brooks Institute and was at Mill Park with her sister taking photos.
Dominguez, who has a history of violent confrontations, shot Calanche once in the top of her head with a double barreled Derringer after they began to argue shortly before 1 p.m.
Dominguez, who did not know Calanche before the confrontation, sobbed as the jury’s verdict was read in front of Ventura County Superior Court Judge Kevin DeNoce.
Jurors also found true that Dominguez intentionally discharged a firearm. She will be sentenced Feb. 24.
The Santa Paula Police Department issued a statement Friday noting the guilty verdict reached by the jury.
The statement noted the SPPD “would like to thank the Ventura County District Attorney prosecutors and investigators for their assistance in this case.”
Calanche lived near Mill Park with family members including her toddler son; Dominguez, also a Santa Paula resident, is also a mother of young children.
Dominguez will be sentenced February 24.
This story will be updated in the January 28 edition of the Santa Paula Times.
