The Case

• On May 11th 1995 05:38pm
• At an alleyway off of Vandegrift Blvd.
• Ernesto Flores rushed towards Jermaine Smothers and 5 of his friends with a gun
• Jermaine and most of his friends ran, however, one stood his ground
• Ernesto was shot through both legs and the back of the head
• Ernesto's associate Mavis screamed out for help and tried to stop the bleeding
• Ernesto died from his wounds - the gun he was carrying was never found

Unfortunately for Jermaine, his ex-girlfriend was nearby the crime along with her mother. These woman got very close to the crime scene and repeatedly shouted Jermaine's name as the culprit, even though they were too far away to accurately identify anyone, according to eyesight experts. The detectives and prosecutor were under a lot of pressure to stop the gang violence in Oceanside, so they set out to end the case quick and make an example out of the culprit. Jermaine was the easiest target due to the testimony of his ex and her mother. The lead detective fixated on Jermaine and ignored other witnesses and credible leads who stated the shooter was the tallest in the group and left handed (Jermaine was the shortest and right handed). Once arrested, Jermaine was asked to take a polygraph by Oceanside PD, which he passed with flying colors. The other main suspect refused, but due to lack of evidence, the Prosecutor and detectives continued to push for Jermaine's indictment and ignored the polygraph results as well as the conflicting testimony of other witnesses.