Gilberto Cervantes, a 76-year-old tortilla factory owner, was tragically shot and killed on March 20, 1977, in the driveway of his home in San Gabriel, California. The murder was a contract killing orchestrated by Cervantes' stepson, Anthony de los Reyes, and his wife, Paulette, who sought to inherit Cervantes' tortilla company. They hired Dennis Dean Winebaugh, a former security guard, to carry out the murder for $3,500. Winebaugh, who later moved to Oklahoma, was arrested nearly a decade after the crime when his accomplice, Dennis France, came forward with information about the murder.
France, who drove the getaway car, testified against Winebaugh in exchange for immunity from prosecution. His testimony, along with a tape-recorded conversation in which Winebaugh admitted his involvement, was crucial in securing Winebaugh's conviction. Despite Winebaugh's alibi defense, jurors found him guilty, and he was sentenced to life in prison. The case also implicated veteran Los Angeles police officer William E. Leasure, who was alleged to have arranged the killing, although he was not charged due to a lack of evidence.
The murder of Gilberto Cervantes was part of a larger pattern of criminal activity involving Leasure and France. Leasure was later accused of arranging two other murders: the 1980 killing of Ann Smith at her beauty shop and the 1981 murder of Anthony de los Reyes. France admitted to being the triggerman in both cases, driven by fear that Leasure would have him killed to keep him silent. The complex web of conspiracies and betrayals surrounding Cervantes' murder highlights the lengths to which individuals will go for financial gain and the eventual unraveling of their schemes through persistent investigative efforts.
