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Convicted killer Jairo Mancilla was sentenced on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for fatally shooting two Orange Cove men who crossed paths with the armed gang member.<\/p>\n
Mancilla shot 24-year-old Javier Lizaola and 27-year-old Alex Esquivel on March 10, 2017, near a bike trail at Railroad Avenue and 11th Street. Two juveniles walking home from a nearby store found the bodies that night and told their parents, who called police.<\/p>\n
Prosecutor Adam Christopherson said Mancillas shot the two men because he believed they were from a rival gang.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe fired two shots, he hit one of the men in the head and the other in the chest,\u201d Christopherson said. \u201cThey both died at the scene.\u201d<\/p>\n
Family and friends of the victims packed one side of the courtroom for the sentencing hearing. Wearing a bright yellow jumpsuit reserved for high-risk inmates, Mancilla glanced occasionally in the direction of the family members.<\/p>\n
Four Fresno County sheriff\u2019s deputies stood watch over the courtroom as family members told Judge Brian Alvarez how the loss of their loved ones has impacted their lives.<\/p>\n
Liz, the mother of Javier, described her son as caring, funny and a dedicated father. They worked together at a local winery, a job she hoped would carry her into retirement. But the loss of her son was too much to bear as she struggled with post-traumatic stress disorder and lost her job.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was one of the hardest times of my life, sitting through testimonies, hearing every detail of how my son was murdered,\u201d she told the judge. \u201cIt killed me emotionally and physically.\u201d<\/p>\n
At one point, Mancilla appeared to be smiling at Liz, who asked that her name not be used out of concern for her safety. That angered her husband, who appeared to mouth something to Mancilla before being quickly escorted out of the courtroom by a Fresno County sheriff\u2019s deputy.<\/p>\n
Another deputy swiftly turned Mancilla\u2019s chair so he could not see the audience.<\/p>\n
Lizaola\u2019s mother said she hopes Thursday was the last time she has to think of Mancilla, who will spend the rest of his life in prison.<\/p>\n
This story was originally published July 9, 2026 at 4:49 PM.<\/p>\n
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