Gene Evin Atkins was sentenced Wednesday, Oct. 14, to more than 200 years to life in prison for crimes tied to a deadly 2018 standoff at a Trader Joe’s in Silver Lake.
Atkins, 36, was convicted of second-degree murder, 24 counts of falsely imprisoning hostages, three counts of attempted murder and four counts of assaulting an officer with a firearm. Employees and customers were among the 24 people held hostage inside the store after Atkins fled a police pursuit and crashed nearby.
Assistant manager Melyda “Mely” Maricela Corado was killed during the confrontation. Then-Los Angeles police Chief Michel Moore confirmed in 2018 that an officer, not Atkins, fired the fatal shot. Prosecutors charged Atkins with her murder under a legal theory that held him responsible for a death caused by his actions.
A first jury acquitted Atkins of first-degree murder and could not reach a verdict on the second-degree murder charge involving Corado. A second jury found him guilty of that charge.
Please note! Comments are published by readers. The opinions expressed may not reflect the position of the editorial team. USCT is not responsible for the content of readers' opinions and asks authors to observe moral standards, not to incite national or racial hatred, and to avoid rudeness. Think before you speak. You are responsible for your words! By publishing an opinion, you agree to the rules! If this request is ignored, USCT reserves the right to deprive the user of the ability to leave comments.