Jury finds pair guilty of killing Marin County pot dealer at Santa Rosa hotel

Two men who gunned down a Marin County pot dealer at a Santa Rosa motel were found guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder with special circumstances, which carries mandatory life sentences without parole.

Jurors convicted David Espinal, 47, of Sacramento and Donald Parker, 36, of Vallejo of killing Max Weinreb, 21, during the sale of 10 pounds of marijuana at the former Vagabond Inn on Cleveland Avenue.

The panel found the defendants were carrying out plans to rob Weinreb when the shooting occurred. Evidence suggested both Espinal and Weinreb drew guns in the middle of a transaction but only Espinal was able to fire.

“We believe David (Espinal) pulled his first and Max (Weinreb) reacted,” said one male juror, who did not give his name.

Another juror who also did not give his name said he was persuaded by the fact that the defendants were carrying duct tape that could have been used to bind Weinreb.

“That was the monkey wrench,” the juror said. “You couldn’t ignore that piece.”

He and his peers rejected Espinal’s testimony that the tape was to be used to seal garbage bags filled with marijuana or that the shooting came in self-defense.

Most said the ex-convict with a lengthy criminal record dating back to 1988 lacked credibility.

“Ultimately, we felt these two guys planned a robbery,” another unidentified juror said. “One brought the tape, one brought the gun.”

Lawyers for Espinal and Parker maintained they intended only to buy pot and pointed to Weinreb as the aggressor. Police found a gun under his fallen body.

Neither man showed emotion as the verdicts were read. A Weinreb family member wiped her eyes but declined to comment outside the courtroom.

Espinal and Parker will be sentenced later this summer.

You can reach Staff Writer Paul Payne at 568-5312 or paul.payne@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @ppayne.