gang member who went by the street name Smiles was sentenced Wednesday to 28 years in prison

 

gang member who went by the street name Smiles was sentenced Wednesday to 28 years in prison for the 2009 slaying of a rival gang member. Rudy Madrigal, 21, was sentenced at the top of the range for his guilty plea to second-degree murder in the death of Ladislado Avila, 22, after a confrontation at a party between rival Nortenos and Surenos. Madrigal's pleaded guilty just days after fellow defendant and cousin Fabian Arredondo, 22, was convicted by a jury and sentenced to more than 90 years in prison for his role in the killing. Arrendondo's sentence, handed down Oct. 27, was among the stiffest ever given in Yakima County Superior Court for gang violence and was credited by deputy prosecutor Sam Chen with forcing Madrigal's plea. "Fabian's sentence basically helped resolve this matter," he said. Chen said Avila and three of his friends had tangled with Madrigal and Arredondo during a party and were attacked as they drove away. Avila was behind the wheel and died from a bullet wound to the head that penetrated the back window. Authorities said Arredondo egged Madrigal on and showed him how to switch off the safety so he could fire. Chen defended the plea deal, saying the two cases had differing evidentiary challenges and that Arredondo was the "shot caller" who even showed his cousin how to fire the weapon. In addition to the murder charge, Madrigal's plea deal also included guilty pleas to several counts of first-degree assault as a result of the other youths in Avila's car. Avila's murder was the first of four in December 2009 and the 22nd of 25 in Yakima County that year, many stemming from gang violence. Of the 16 homicides countywide so far in 2011, authorities have said four have a strong gang motive. That includes an Oct. 29 shooting on Cherry Street in Yakima.