Sureño gang member denied parole for 1998 Napa murder committed at age 17
A man convicted in a 1998 gang-related murder in Napa committed when he was 17 years old was denied parole during a hearing last week, the Napa County District Attorney said Thursday.
DA Allison Haley said in a press statement Thursday that the California Board of Parole Hearings denied 43-year-old Jose Humberto Marin parole for three years following a Jan. 4 hearing at California State Prison, Solano.
Marin was convicted of second-degree murder along with special allegations and a gang enhancement for the ambush and execution-style shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Arreguin on May 16, 1998. According to prosecutors, Arreguin and a fellow Norteño gang member were dealing with a flat tire on Brown Street near Lincoln Avenue when Marin drove by with other Sureño gang members and shot Arreguin in the face.
A jury convicted Marin in May 2000 and he was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison. As he was 17 at the time of the murder, Marin was eligible for youth offender parole in 2022. The district attorney's office said Marin waived his right to a parole hearing in 2022 for one year, making him eligible for a subsequent parole hearing in 2023, which was conducted on Jan. 4, 2024.
In its denial, the parole board noted Marin's continued gang involvement and criminal behavior while incarcerated, and his recent recovery from substance abuse issues.
Deputy District Attorney Colleen McMahon appeared at the hearing to argue against Marin's parole because of the cruelty and callousness of the murder and his gang associations.
"The Napa DA's Office is pleased that the Board of Parole Hearings prioritized public safety in its decision to deny Mr. Marin's parole," said McMahon in a prepared statement. "The denial of Mr. Marin's parole serves as a reminder that the consequences of one's choices extend beyond personal experience, they impact the wellbeing of our entire community."
Three other Sureño gang members were also convicted and sentenced in the murder. Jacob Wayne Hutchins, 45, and Robert Cendejas, 42, were paroled in 2019 and 2023, respectively. Gonzalo Serafin Alcala, 41, is still serving his sentence at Folsom State Prison and has a parole hearing date tentatively scheduled for December 2025.
Prosecutors said Arreguin's murder led to several retaliatory shootings and marked the first time a person in Napa County was killed in connection with a gang.