Ventura County Star
SANTA PAULA, Calif. — A convicted robber recently sentenced to more than 66 years in prison was found dead in his cell Wednesday after he committed suicide, officials said.
Deputies conducting cell checks about 1:30 a.m. found Peter Zepeda, 31, of Santa Paula unresponsive and not breathing, sheriff’s officials said.
Deputies and jail medical staff gave Zepeda emergency aid, and an ambulance was called, but he was pronounced dead at the jail, officials said.
After an autopsy, Senior Deputy Medical Examiner Armando Chavez said Zepeda died from asphyxia by hanging and his death was ruled a suicide.
Zepeda hung himself with a homemade braided cord, Chavez said. Chavez said it was unknown where the cord’s material came from.
Zepeda was sentenced June 23 to 66 years and four months in prison for robbing two Ventura drugstores and a Santa Paula grocery store.
Zepeda, who used disguises including a Santa Claus beard, was convicted in April of nine counts of robbery and two special allegations involving the use of a firearm.
During Zepeda’s sentencing, Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bennett called the crimes “particularly violent” and said they merited the maximum penalty, especially because the robber previously was convicted of a nearly identical crime.
Zepeda’s public defender argued unsuccessfully during the sentencing that he should be punished based on the number of robberies rather than the number of victims.
After his conviction in April, the judge thanked Zepeda for being a “gentleman” during the trial. Sheriff’s officials said Zepeda was cleared for jail housing following a psychiatric evaluation after his sentencing.
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