‘Fun’ murder trial delayed

The murder trial of two suspects accused of killing Jordan Hickey in National City in 2011 was re-scheduled until March 13, 2014.

The death penalty is being sought against the alleged gunman, Humberto Emanuel “Beto” Galvez, 21, and a life term without the possibility of parole is the penalty for the driver, Juan Ignacio Gomez, 22, if they are convicted of first-degree murder.

Both men appeared before San Diego Superior Court Judge Jeff Fraser, who set the new trial date. The defense attorneys have filed a motion to dismiss the special circumstances charges and that will be heard Dec. 6.
Jordan Hickey, 21, was pushing his bicycle uphill in the 2800 block of Grove St. at 12:35 a.m. when the suspects drove past him and shot him three times on April 29, 2011. Both men are charged with the special circumstance of murder during a drive-by shooting.

Hickey was developmentally disabled and lived with his mother, Jeannine Hickey, in Lincoln Acres, an unincorporated area of National City. He was on his way home when he was shot.

Galvez and Gomez lived in the same house on Logan Avenue until their arrests on March 22, 2012, in Chula Vista.

They are also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and attempted robbery of Hickey.

A witness testified in a preliminary hearing in 2012 that both men admitted to him they killed Hickey for no apparent reason.

“We just went looking for anyone to kill just for the fun of it,” he quoted one of them as saying.

A detective who interviewed Galvaz testified that he said “he just wanted to see what it was like to shoot somebody.”
Both men remain in jail on $2 million bail.