Jury convicts three Salinas gang members

A jury convicted three Salinas Sureno gang members of kidnapping, robbery, carjacking and other charges after a month-long trial, the Monterey County District Attorney's Office announced today.

The charges stem from a Sept. 14, 2007 crime where Cesar Valle, 22, Sergio Pablo, 20, and Jorge Andrade Rico, 26,  helped kidnap three people at gunpoint, drove them to a secluded area and stole their vehicle.

"All three defendants face multiple life sentences for their part in this highly orchestrated gang crime," a DA news release says. The three defendants will be sentenced on separate dates in November.

"Two other defendants, Fernando Quiroz, 23 and Alejandro Cisneros, 21, both of Salinas, had already pled guilty and been sentenced for their parts in this crime," the release says.