Cathy Sarinana

Background

Cathy Lynn Sarinana was an estranged wife of Raul Ricardo Sarinana. Raul Sarinana and Cathy Sarinana repeatedly abused and ultimately killed their 11-year-old nephew, Ricky Morales, leaving him to die alone in a closet on Christmas Day 2005. They were convicted in March 2005 of first-degree murder and torture in Ricky’s death, with separate juries hearing evidence recommending that the pair be executed.

Authorities said they believed the couple also killed Ricky’s 14-year-old brother, Conrad Morales, in Randle, Washington. Charges had not been filed in that death.

Ricky and Conrad Morales went to live with Raul and Cathy after their mother was briefly jailed in an assault case in Los Angeles County and their father was deported.

A judge said the marriage of Raul and Cathy Sarinana was “a match made in hell” that resulted in the deaths of two defenseless boys.

The offence

Ricky Morales died in a closet at the Sarinanas’ Corona home on Christmas Day 2005 after Raul Sarinana kicked and beat him for cleaning a bathroom too slowly, according to trial testimony.

Trial testimony said that Ricky complained of not feeling well and refused to eat his dinner. Raul ordered Ricky to clean the apartment’s bathroom. When Ricky appeared to be going too slow, Raul kicked him. Ricky vomited and Raul kicked him again. Raul kicked the 11-year-old boy a third time, then dragged him into the bedroom and threw him in the feces-strewn closet, where Raul repeatedly kicked and stomped Ricky as Ricky tried to escape. Raul then slammed the door and went to eat his Christmas dinner. Hours later, when Cathy went to check on Ricky, she found him dead. Cathy called the police. Ricky was pronounced dead on December 25, 2005.

Investigators alleged that the Sarinanas began abusing Ricky and Conrad within weeks of the boys’ arrival at the couple’s Randle, Washington mobile home in late 2004.

Regarding Conrad Morales, trial testimony described that the older boy’s body was found encased in concrete in a trash can outside the Sarinanas’ Corona home. Raul told police he had beaten Conrad and later found him dead. Conrad was last seen in August 2005, before the Sarinanas relocated to Corona.

Investigation

On December 26, 2005, both Cathy and Raul were brought in for questioning by Corona police. Raul admitted to disciplining Ricky but said he never meant to hurt him.

Investigators discovered Conrad’s body after the police were notified that another brother was missing. Officers returned to the Sarinana home and found the body of 13-year-old Conrad encased in concrete in a trash can covered in plastic and duct tape, stored on the carport of their Corona home.

A forensic pathologist testified that bruises, lacerations and scars on Ricky’s body showed he suffered repeated injuries, some at least a month before his death on Christmas Day 2005. Dr. Mark Fajardo testified that some hook-shaped scars were consistent with marks made by a cord, such as an electrical cord. He testified that Ricky had a split upper lip, abrasions on his face and marks under his chin. Fajardo said there were bruises and scabs on Ricky’s torso and lower body and that Ricky had a severe infection on the back of his upper thighs.

“These injuries are of various ages and are in various states of healing,” he said.
“Some of them are days old, some of them are weeks (old), some of them are well-healed and scarred over.”

In autopsy photos shown at trial, Ricky’s body was covered with new and old scabs, bruises and scars. A pathologist testified that Ricky had cracked ribs and a torn lung.

In a pretrial brief filed by the prosecution, Dr. Mark Fajardo was described as having found “multiple external traumatic injuries.” The brief stated:

“Scars on Ricky's body were consistent with being whipped with an electrical cord or similar instrument,”
“Ricky’s scrotum was damaged with a penetrating laceration…and his scrotal sac was severely damaged…”
“There were multiple scars to Ricky’s scalp, primarily centered on the back of his head.
He had a severe infection on the back of his legs. Finally, there were multiple circular injuries consistent with cigarette burns located throughout Ricky’s body that were determined to be at least several weeks, if not several months, old.”

In recorded interviews with police, Raul admitted he killed Ricky but said it was not intentional. He said he tried to discipline the boy by hitting him with a belt and later kicking him. Raul told police he killed Conrad shortly before the family moved to Corona from rural Washington, and Conrad’s body was found encased in concrete in the Sarinanas’ carport in Corona.

Arrest

Riverside County officials said Raul Sarinana was arrested after calling police just before 2 p.m. Monday. Raul told police that he had hurt the boy and that the boy may be dead, according to Corona police Sgt. Jerry Rodriguez.

Officers found Ricky’s battered body inside the couple’s duplex unit at 1110 S. Belle Ave. The boy had suffered blunt trauma injuries and had been dead perhaps “a day or two at most,” said Corona police Sgt. Neil Reynolds.

Cathy Lynn Sarinana was arrested on suspicion of murder with Raul. Their two children, a 2-year-old girl and a 13-month-old boy, were put in protective custody.

After questioning the pair, police returned for an additional search of the duplex Tuesday and found the second set of remains concealed in the carport just after 3 p.m. The remains appeared to be those of a person whose death occurred well before that of the 11-year-old boy, police said. Examiners planned to use dental records to identify the body.

At the time of the arrests, investigators planned to seek homicide charges against the couple.

Trial

Separate juries heard evidence against Raul and Cathy, including evidence recommending that the pair be executed.

Charges and enhancement

Cathy and Raul were charged with first-degree murder and torture in Ricky’s death. A child endangerment charge with a special circumstance of inflicting torture in the death of Ricky was mentioned.

Evidence and testimony

A judge said a dominant factor in the decision was “the way Ricky was abused repeatedly by both Sarinanas.” The judge said in autopsy photos shown at trial, Ricky’s body was covered with new and old scabs, bruises and scars, and a pathologist testified that Ricky had cracked ribs and a torn lung.

In his sentencing remarks, Judge Paul E. Zellerbach said:

“The ongoing and almost mind-numbing extent of the torture inflicted on these boys … is horrifying,”

Deputy District Attorney John Aki presented closing arguments that included allegations that Cathy Sarinana abetted and took an active part in her husband’s violent abuse of Ricky Morales and Conrad. Aki also referenced the prosecution’s theory that Cathy was the only one in the Sarinana household who smoked, and said an autopsy revealed numerous cigarette burns on Ricky’s body, including some on the child’s genitals. Aki said:

“There's some kind of sadistic intimacy when you do that,”
“You're up close. You have to strip the victim's clothes off.”

Aki said when Ricky was asked by friends how he had received a black eye or bruise, the boy responded that he had been in a fight, which Cathy Sarinana instructed the child to use, according to Aki.

Cathy’s lawyer, Patrick Rosetti, admitted the evidence was hard to stomach, and asked jurors to concentrate on witnesses’ testimony. Rosetti said:

“fight off the emotional part”
“and concentrate on witnesses' testimony.”

Jurors on Thursday and Monday heard testimony that Cathy said Raul abused her and that she was frightened of him. Donna Chisam testified that her niece loved children and would not have hit Ricky or Conrad.

Defense arguments

Victor Marshall told jurors in closing arguments that no witness reported actually seeing the boys being abused. He argued Raul Sarinana, who was described as jobless and emotionally unbalanced, suffered “extreme stress” and killed Ricky in a fit of anger, and that there was no intent to kill, based on the narrative that Raul killed in anger rather than intending death.

In closing arguments for the defense on March 19, 2009, Victor Marshall told a jury the killing should be considered second-degree murder because he did not intend to kill. Marshall suggested Cathy Sarinana was “the puppeteer” who pulled her husband’s strings and described Raul Sarinana as having “an almost childlike mentality,” including testimony that Raul had been prescribed Effexor and had trouble controlling his anger.

In a recorded police interview shown in court, Deputy District Attorney John Aki said Raul admitted he killed Ricky but never mentioned Conrad until he wanted to make a deal with prosecutors to help Cathy.

The jury recommended death for the couple. A sentence of death in California was automatically appealed.

Sentencing

Judge Paul E. Zellerbach followed the recommendations made by two juries. Sentences of death were pronounced in Superior Court in Riverside.

Judge Paul E. Zellerbach said the marriage of Raul and Cathy Sarinana was “a match made in hell” resulting in the deaths of two defenseless boys.

Cathy Sarinana was sentenced to death in Riverside County, California on June 26, 2009.

Raul Sarinana was sentenced to death in Riverside County on July 2, 2009.

In pronouncing sentences, Zellerbach cited “the ongoing and almost mind-numbing extent of the torture inflicted on these boys … is horrifying,” and emphasized the repeated abuse of Ricky.

Outcome

Jurors were released from their obligations in April but some returned Friday.

Other details

A memorial for the boys consisted of candles and photographs depicting Conrad and Ricky as babies and as young children in Halloween costumes.

Members of Ricky and Conrad’s families described how the boys’ deaths had devastated their family in court statements before sentencing.

Rosa Sarinana described sending Ricky and Conrad to live with the Sarinanas when she and other relatives could not care for them. Rosa Sarinana said:

“How can I enjoy life after what they’ve done to my sons?”
“God has given me another chance, but it’s not the same.”

Rosa Sarinana and Destinee Morales, 19, said they believed death sentences would serve justice. Rosa added that Raul and Cathy should suffer the torture her sons did.

Brad Wrightstone, 34, a Riverside resident and foreman of Raul Sarinana’s jury, said:

“I pretty much think about it every day,”
“I wanted to make sure that our decision that we came up with was upheld, and if it wasn’t I wanted to know why".

Cathy Sarinana claimed she suffered from “battered wife syndrome” and had no knowledge of mistreatment or abuse of either Ricky or Conrad.

Raul Sarinana claimed the death was unintentional and an accident, and that he did not intend to kill Ricky.

Authorities in Lewis County, Washington were waiting for the outcome of the Sarinanas’ trial in Riverside before deciding whether to prosecute the couple in Washington for Conrad’s death.

A question about Conrad’s body identification and autopsy timing was discussed in reporting, including that an autopsy for Ricky was to determine the cause of death and that Conrad’s autopsy was scheduled Friday.