MARTINEZ (BCN) — A Pittsburg gang member pleaded no contest today in a Martinez courtroom to charges he faced in the slaying of a 19-year-old Antioch man in 2011.
Steven Abundis, 26, will serve 6 years in state prison after admitting to voluntary manslaughter, possession of marijuana for sale, possession of an assault weapon and a street gang enhancement for his involvement with Pittsburg’s West Boulevard Norteños.
Abundis and co-defendant Antonio Esquivel were charged in connection with the fatal shooting of Bridain Harold that occurred May 22, 2011, in the 2300 block of D Street in Antioch.Abundis has been in custody since he was arrested in Oakley on July 12, 2011, when officers allegedly found an AK-47-style assault rifle, other firearms and a pound of marijuana in his possession.
He denied having any part in Harold’s murder, while Esquivel allegedly confessed to it – stating that it occurred after a confrontation between rival groups on the Antioch waterfront.Police said that two weeks after Harold was killed, Esquivel got a tattoo on his chest that read “No warning shots.”
Deputy District Attorney Colleen Gleason, the prosecutor in the case, said Esquivel went to trial and was found guilty of first-degree murder. He now faces 65 years to life in prison, Gleason said.Abundis and Esquivel were friends and known to associate with Pittsburg gangs, police said at the time of their arrest.
Today, Judge Patricia Scanlon told Abundis that he would have to register as a member of the West Boulevard Norteños upon his release from prison after admitting to a street gang enhancement.
Abundis already has around 1,750 days of credit for time served in county jail. He is now being transferred to state prison.