Hispano who killed two policemen and barricaded himself at home risk the death sentence in California

A Hispanic man accused of the death of two police officers armed with an badault rifle in a tourist town in southern California was found guilty on Monday two counts of first degree murder and could be sentenced to death.

During the trial that took place in Indio, California, John Felix Hernandez, 26, was also found guilty of attempting to kill six other police officers after being locked in his home and fired on the door of two bargaining agents.

Hispanic, previously convicted of gang-related activities, faces death sentence for death José Gilbert Vega, 63, veteran with 35 years of service on the verge of retirement, and Lesley Zerebny, 27, with a year and a half of service and the mother of a four-month-old daughter.

The trial phase of the trial is to begin tomorrow at the Larsson Justice Center in Indio, a town near Palm Springs, southeast of Los Angeles.

On October 8, 2016, officers responded to an emergency call for a family altercation at a Palm Springs residence. Under negotiation, Hernandez opened fire and killed both officers and wounded a third, who survived.

After the attack, Hispanics were entrenched in the house, which led a special operations team from Riverside County to establish a perimeter around the house and, as a result of a exchange of fire, six policemen were injured.

Twelve hours later, the accused went out with his hands, wearing a bulletproof vest and equipped with high-caliber ammunition, according to the authorities report.

In the initial presentation of the trial last April, during which some jurors shed tears, the prosecutor Manny Bustamante showed the AR-15 rifle used by Felix then he described the fatal injuries inflicted on the two police officers.

Previously, Hernandez had been sentenced to 18 months in prison for badault with a weapon.

Although state governor Gavin Newsom last month introduced a moratorium on the death penalty in California, which will remain in effect for as long as he remains in power.

This measure, however, does not prevent prosecutors from seeking the death penalty.