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Three men sentenced in 2009 murder in Bellflower

Three men were sentenced Aug. 6 to life in state prison without the possibility of parole for a 2009 murder in Bellflower, according to the Los Angeles County district attorney’s office.

Hector Aguilar Arciga, a 39-year-old Latino, was found guilty of first-degree murder, four counts of home invasion robbery, and first-degree burglary on April 14, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Greg Cernok.

Pedro Huerta Zuniga, 44, and Francisco Argenis Parra, 32, both Latino, were convicted April 11 of first-degree murder, attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, four counts of home invasion robbery, and first-degree burglary, said the prosecutor.

Additionally, Zuniga was found guilty of possession of a firearm by a felon.

On April 22, 2009, the three defendants went to an apartment in the 16100 block of Eucalyptus Avenue in Bellflower to purchase drugs from Carlos Zarate, 23, according to Cernok.

When Zarate realized that he was being cheated out of money, the three defendants shot him.

He was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:55 p.m., according to Los Angeles County coroner’s records.

-- Maloy Moore and Nicole Santa Cruz

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