A Monterey County jury has found the man accused of murdering Salinas Police Department officer Jorge David “JD” Alvarado guilty on all charges.
In a verdict announced Tuesday afternoon, Oct. 24, the jury convicted Gustavo Matias Morales, 32, of first-degree murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle, assault on a peace officer with a semi-automatic firearm, unlawful possession of a firearm, and unlawful carrying of a loaded firearm in public.
Morales will be sentenced at a hearing on Nov. 21 and will receive a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
Morales shot and killed Alvarado on the evening of Feb. 25, 2022, after Alvarado pulled him over during a traffic stop near the intersection of Griffin and East Market streets in Salinas. Monterey County prosecutors argued that Morales, who was on probation at the time due to previous convictions, was driving drunk with a suspended license, and shot the 30-year-old Alvarado at least 12 times before fleeing the scene in an attempt to avoid arrest and jail.
Morales’ attorneys, from the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office, countered that their client had feared for his life due to previous violent encounters with police officers and acted in self-defense—a claim Morales echoed when he took the witness stand last week. While they made little effort to dispute the fact that Morales had shot Alvarado, Morales’ lawyers sought to beat the first-degree murder charge in favor of the lesser offense of voluntary manslaughter.
The two-week trial also saw testimonies from bystanders at the incident, Salinas Police Department officers and other law enforcement officials involved in the investigation, and forensic crime scene analysts. Morales’ father and a family friend testified about events on the evening of Alvarado’s murder, while two women who knew Morales—including the mother of his children—recounted how he would become violent when he drank alcohol.
After attorneys made their closing arguments on Monday, Oct. 23, the jury deliberated for a total of four-and-a-half hours before handing in its verdict.