A Santa Barbara County Superior Court judge in Santa Maria sentenced Walter Alexander Morales to state prison after he admitted fatally shooting a soldier home on leave in Lompoc five years ago because he misidentified the victim as a rival gang member.
Morales, 30, was sentenced Thursday during an emotional hearing that took place a week after he pleaded guilty to murder, avoiding a trial. Since his arrest, Morales had denied wielding the weapon.
The 2019 shooting killed Army Spc. Marlon Brumfield Jr., 22, a Lompoc resident and enlisted soldier in the Army.
“This was a senseless act. It didn’t have to happen,” Judge Denise Hippach said after listening to victim impact statements from family members and before sentencing Morales to 25 years to life in state prison.
Just before 2 a.m. Sept. 8, 2019, personnel from theLompoc police and firedepartmentsfound Brumfield on the ground with multiple gunshots wounds near Ocean Avenue and A Street. He was pronounced dead at the scene.
One suspect, Francisco Gutierrez (also known as Francisco Gutierrez Ortega), now 29, turned himself in to police days after the killing.
Morales fled after the shooting but was taken into custody in July 2020 after a standoff at a Santa Maria home.
Along with murder and attempted murder charges, Morales initially faced a number of special allegations or sentencing enhancements related to use of a firearm and involvement in gang activity.
In a statement signed as part of the plea, he admitted thinking that Brumfield belonged to the Bloods criminal gang, rivals to the Westside VLP.
Both Brumfield and his buddy denied being gang members or calling out Morales and Gutierrez, the statement said.
“Still, based on my belief that he was a rival gang member at the time,I reached across Gutierrez from my seat inside the car and intentionally aimed my gun out of Gutierrez’s window and shot Mr. Brumfield four times, killing him,” the statement said.
For five years, Morales denied being the shooter and switched attorneys multiple times, delaying the trial.
Despite facing a lengthy prison sentence, Morales entered the courtroom Thursday smiling as he took a seat next to his attorney, William Davis.
The judge and bailiff reminded family members of the defendant and victim to avoid outbursts, with Hippach saying she would have Morales removed from the courtroom if he misbehaved.
“I do not want any shenanigans in the courtroom,” the judge said.
As a photo of a uniform-wearing Brumfield with smiling eyes and broad grin sat the front of the courtroom, family members recalled the soldier as a kind, caring and funny person.
“He had the best smile,” sister Kayla Taylor said.
They wondered why Morales took the life of their son, brother and uncle.
“My son did nothing to you, Walter,” Brumfield’s mom, LaShunda Miller, said, adding that Morales’ actions left her feeling sad, numb and angry.
“My brother was a rare and genuine soul who loved people unconditionally. No matter what problems I would bring him, he would give me back peace and love as the solution,” sister Janicia Small said, sharing her extreme struggles since losing her brother.
Brumfield attended Cabrillo High School and graduated from El Puente High School before enlisting in the Army.
Days after his killing, the Lompoc community gathered for a march and vigil attended by several hundred people.
“He left us a legend that brought peace, love and unity amongst us,” Yasmin Dawson said. “He represented goodness. All he did was to come home to see his family before going to his next Army assignment.”
After the hearing, Deputy District Attorney Jordan Lockey called the shooting “an ultimate act of senselessness and selfishness” by a longtime member of a violent criminal gang.
The sentencing hearing culminated nearly five years of seeking justice for Brumfield and his family.
“Today, Mr. Brumfield’s family shared with the court the profound impact that his death has had, and I want to acknowledge the courage it took for them to stand and speak,” Lockey said.
She also acknowledged the efforts of Lompoc Police Cpl. Michael Miller and his colleagues to ensure justice.
Chief Kevin Martin and several Lompoc detectives attended the sentencing hearing.
“It’s such a senseless act to take a life in the manner in which Walter did,” Martin said. “As the judge said, this is a sad, sad day.
“He was an amazing young man that was taken too soon. … To lose his life in the manner he did was just unthinkable.”
Gutierrez, the second defendant, is scheduled to return to court in July for his sentencing after pleading to voluntary manslaughter. Under the plea agreement, he faces an 11-year prison sentence.
