Moss Landing man convicted of first degree murder.

On the morning of Feb. 15, 2017, Monterey County Sheriff’s Deputies were called out to a Moss Landing residence on Trafton Road for a disturbance call that they soon discovered was in fact a disturbing homicide.

The victim was 40-year-old Alejandro Reyes, who on the scene appeared to have been bludgeoned to death.

But an autopsy revealed more: Reyes had been shot with a .22 caliber gun one time directly into the upper chest, penetrating his trachea, lung and aorta.

Within three hours of finding Reyes, deputies and California Highway Patrol officers located a suspect, Jose De Jesus Estrada, inside a nearby home, where he barricaded himself with a large firearm for an hour.

Deputies were able to talk Estrada into surrendering, and he was arrested without incident.

On May 7, Estrada, 40, was convicted by a jury in Monterey County Superior Court of first degree murder of Reyes and exhibiting a firearm at officers, according to the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.

Two witnesses said they saw Estrada covered in blood after the murder, and a test of the blood on his face performed later confirmed it belonged to Reyes.

Estrada used a large ceramic tile to strike Reyes on the back of his head, face and chest causing multiple rib fractures, a fractured sternum, a broken cheekbone, a neck fracture and multiple other injuries, according to the DAs press release.

The motive is believed to be Estrada’s anger over Reyes taking over his duties as property manager of the Trafton Road residence. He was seen yelling at Reyes just three days before the murder.

He left the property angry on Feb. 13, 2017, and returned around 8am Feb. 15, ambushing Reyes with the ceramic tile and the gun.

Estrada is scheduled to be sentenced on June 15 by Judge Pamela L. Butler. He faces up to 50 years to life in prison.