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Man pleads guilty to murder in Pasadena triple slaying

A man pleaded guilty on Dec. 22 to murder in the deaths of three people during a 2014 shooting rampage in Pasadena, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office. 

John Izeal Smith pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and one count of second-degree murder. Smith was charged in connection with the killings of Maria Teresa Aguiar, 59, Luis Fernando Aguiar, 91, and Jose Hernandez Iribe, 31. He also pleaded guilty to one count of assault on a peace officer.

On July 12, 2014, Smith got into an argument with Maria Aguiar. He then grabbed an assault rifle and shot her and her elderly father, Luis Aguiar. Smith then turned the weapon on neighbors and killed Iribe. 

After the shooting, Smith barricaded himself inside a home and called police. He shot at multiple people, including a Pasadena police officer, but nobody was wounded. Smith later surrendered and was arrested.

He faces a sentence of 181 years to life in state prison.

Contact the Homicide Report. Follow @jeromercampbell and @latimeshomicide on Twitter.

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