Murder Conviction Upheld In Killing Of San Fernando Valley Clerk

STUDIO CITY, CA — The murder conviction of two women found guilty of shooting a liquor store clerk during an attempted robbery was upheld by a state appeals court panel Wednesday.

Rosa Manuela Barrientos and Maria Michelle Inzunza, now 28 and 29 years old respectively, were convicted in 2018 on one count each of first-degree murder and attempted robbery in the killing of 61-year-old Mohammed Kalam, who was shot in the head at A&D Liquor Mart in North Hollywood on September 24, 2016.

The court pointed to surveillance video of the incident, and fingerprints from a note handed to the clerk to demand money, as the most damaging pieces of evidence.

"Our review of the record shows Barrientos and Inzunza faced what the prosecutor called 'a mountain of evidence,'" the three-justice panel from California's 2nd District Court of Appeal wrote in its 37-page ruling.

Customers and neighboring business operators said Kalam, a native of Bangladesh, had worked the late shift at the liquor store for many years.

Surveillance footage obtained by LAPD showed Inzunza slid the demand note to Kalam, which threatened that they would kill him if he didn't turn over money. Kalam, however, slid the note back to them.

After some unknown dialogue, prosecutors said Barrientos took the gun from her purse and shot Kalam once in the head. Inzunza then attempted to open the register but failed, and the two left the store empty handed.

Barrientos and Inzunza were arrested by the Los Angeles Police Department three days after the shooting and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

City News Service contributed to this report.