George Martinez was fatally shot on February 22, 1989, at approximately 10:00 p.m. while working as a doorman at Fort Knots, a topless dance bar in South Gate. The incident occurred after an altercation between Martinez and a patron, Abelino Manriquez. Earlier that evening, a dancer at the establishment, Daneen Baker, had accused Manriquez of inappropriate behavior, prompting Martinez to evict him from the premises. Manriquez attempted to reenter the bar multiple times before ultimately returning with a firearm and shooting Martinez at point-blank range.
Martinez was one of four victims killed by Manriquez in separate incidents. The other victims included Miguel Garcia, Efrem Baldia, and Jose Gutierrez. Manriquez was convicted of multiple murders, with the jury finding that he personally used a handgun in each case. The special circumstance of multiple murder was upheld, leading to a death sentence.
The prosecution presented evidence detailing the events leading up to Martinez’s murder, including witness testimonies that described Manriquez’s repeated attempts to reenter the bar before ultimately returning with a firearm. The jury found Manriquez guilty of Martinez’s murder, along with the other killings, and upheld the death sentence. The case was automatically appealed, as required by law, but the judgment was affirmed in its entirety.
