UKIAH – On December 17, 2018, a Mendocino County jury found Frank John Cabral, 59, of Laytonville, guilty of burglary in the second degree (felony), vandalism causing $400 or more in damage (felony), and possession of methamphetamine (misdemeanor).

On December 20, 2018 the prosecutor will present Cabral’s prior out-of-state conviction for murder in the second degree.  If found true, this prior conviction will operate as a “doubling” sentencing enhancement pursuant to California’s Three Strikes law.

The law enforcement agencies that investigated and gathered the evidence against Cabral were the Mendocino County Sheriff’s Office, the Mendocino Major Crimes Task Force, and the Department of Justice crime laboratory in Eureka.

“Criminalists who work at California Department of Justice crime labs offer support to local law enforcement in terms of processing crime scenes and evidence,” said California Statewide Law Enforcement Association (CSLEA) President Alan Barcelona.  “Substances that appear to be illegal drugs are tested at labs and identified.  Criminalists also testify at trials, explaining to juries the outcomes of lab tests and how they were performed.”

The prosecutor who presented the People’s evidence to the jury was Deputy District Attorney Juan Jose “Joe” Guzman.

Mendocino County Superior Court Judge Keith Faulder presided over the trial and will continue to do so through final sentencing.