In the trial of Sergio Alvarez, a prosecutor delivered a closing argument urging the jury to convict Alvarez of second-degree murder. The case involves a fatal stabbing that occurred after a confrontation in Long Beach’s Belmont Shore area. On the other hand, a defense attorney countered that Alvarez acted in self-defense.
Deliberations are set to begin Friday morning for the Long Beach jury in this case. Alvarez, a 27-year-old man from Long Beach, is facing charges of second-degree murder, second-degree robbery, and dissuading a witness from reporting a crime. These charges stem from the killing of Gavin Clason, a 33-year-old man, on March 6, 2022.
During her closing argument, Deputy District Attorney Jacqueline Mac stated that Clason initially ran towards Alvarez but emphasized that there was no danger to the defendant when he chased Clason down and stabbed him in the street. Mac argued that Alvarez didn’t have a reasonable belief that his life was in danger and went overboard by stabbing Clason twice while he was on the ground. Furthermore, Mac highlighted that Alvarez attempted to cover his tracks by instructing a co-worker not to inform the police and shaving his hair at home.
However, defense attorney Joe Gibbons countered by describing Alvarez as a small individual, only 5 feet, 1 inch tall and 122 pounds, who was riding a skateboard when confronted by Clason. Gibbons pointed out that Clason, who was 5 feet, 11 inches tall and 190 pounds, was behaving erratically and later found to have a blood-alcohol content well above the legal limit for driving impairment. Gibbons stressed that his client had the right to be scared and defend himself since Clason went after the smaller, seemingly vulnerable individual. He acknowledged that Alvarez admitted to stabbing Clason during his own testimony.
Gibbons urged the jury to consider that Alvarez acted in a reasonable manner given the circumstances. He asked them to acquit his client of murder or consider the lesser charges of voluntary manslaughter or involuntary manslaughter. Regarding the robbery charge, Gibbons expressed doubts about the prosecution’s case, particularly concerning items belonging to Clason that were discovered later on the sidewalk. Similarly, he left it up to the jury to decide whether Alvarez had attempted to dissuade a witness from calling the police.
In her rebuttal, Mac countered Gibbons’ claims, stating that Alvarez acted out of anger rather than self-defense. She emphasized that the jury had access to various surveillance video clips of both the initial confrontation and the subsequent stabbing.
Gavin Clason was pronounced dead on the sidewalk in the 3900 block of East Ocean Boulevard. Alvarez was arrested the day after the incident and has been in jail since then, according to jail records.
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