MARTINEZ — A woman accused of driving two gunmen to an Antioch apartment in 2005, resulting in the killing of a teenaged innocent bystander, has accepted a 13-year prison term as part of a plea deal, prosecutors said.
As part of the deal, Candice Marie Carter, 39, was convicted of manslaughter and a gang enhancement, in the March 27, 2005 shooting death of 17-year-old Edgar Martinez. Authorities say the shooting was the result of a gang conflict, but that Martinez — who had no gang ties — was sleeping in his bed at 314 West 20th Street when a stray bullet struck him.
Brian Lee Gray Sr., 34, and George Marcus Siever, 35, are accused of opening fire on the apartment complex, intending to strike a rival gang member. Both men are affiliated with an Antioch-based subset of the Norteños, police allege.
Carter was a suspect early on, and in a 2005 police interview, she denied having anything to do with Martinez’s killing. But she admitted that she was involved in a violent conflict the day before, and told police a Sureño gang member kicked her in her stomach, she said. Carter was pregnant at the time.
Later in the day, Carter and a group of Norteños arrived at 314 West 20th Street, where Martinez and his cousin lived. Armed with bats and golf clubs, they accosted Martinez’s cousin, police said. Early the following morning, the apartment complex was shot up. A bullet fired from a stolen bolt-action rifle struck Martinez and killed him almost instantly, police said.
Carter also admitted to police in 2005 that she did not like “scraps,” a derogatory term for Sureños, police said in court records.
Authorities recovered the murder weapon from the Antioch river, after receiving a confidential tip about its location.
Prosecutors have not commented on the case, and it is unclear whether Carter will be called to testify if Gray and Siever decide to take their case to trial.
