Chula Vista trial of ex-con to select jury

CHULA VISTA (CNS) – Jury selection was scheduled to begin Tuesday in the trial of an ex-con accused of using a samurai sword and a barbecue fork to kill his younger brother during a fight at their Chula Vista home.

Alberto Gonzalez Figueroa, Jr., 37, is charged with first-degree murder in the April 2, 2013, death of 24-year-old Mario Figueroa.

Chula Vista police said the siblings’ grandfather found them scuffling in a bedroom at their condominium in the 2000 block of Lakeridge Circle about 7:15 a.m. It was unclear what prompted the dispute between the siblings, who, according to police, had a history of fighting.

Their grandfather tried in vain to break up the fight before hurrying to a nearby home for help, police said.

A neighbor called 911 and responding officers and paramedics found the younger Figueroa wounded on the floor of the bedroom. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

The defendant, who has been to prison twice before, was arrested about 45 minutes later near Prospect Street and Sweetwater Road. He faces 29 years to life behind bars if convicted, according to the criminal complaint.