Santa Rosa murder trial ends with hung jury - again

For the second time in less than a year, a Sonoma County jury Wednesday failed to reach a verdict in the trial of a Santa Rosa man accused of aiding and abetting the murder of a rival gang member.

Omar Chavez, 27, has now been tried twice for the 2005 slaying of Semere Girmai in his Bennett Valley apartment. The first jury deadlocked on Oct. 22 after a two-week trial. Testimony in the second trial ended on Monday.

Prosecutor Traci Carrillo said she would reevaluate the case before trying a third time or pursue another resolution. The jury last reported the deadlock at six for guilty, five not guilty and one undecided, Carrillo said.

The charges against Chavez - first-degree murder with gun and gang enhancements - remain and he is in jail where he's been since his arrest in Florida in 2007, she said.

Chavez is accused along with suspected shooter, Ricardo Puentes, who is at large, of killing Semere on Jan. 15, 2005. At the first trial, prosecutors argued the slaying was over a drug turf rivalry. In the second trial, prosecutors said Semere was murdered because the defendants believe he disrespected them.