Cal City murder suspect had prior run-ins with shooting victim: docs
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — Gordon Ross Tripp and Luis Esparza Jr. long had issues with each other.
The California City residents argued or fought every time they crossed paths, according to witnesses. During one confrontation, witnesses said, Esparza hit Tripp in the head with a wrench, knocking him unconscious.
On Dec. 8, the bad blood between the two ended with Esparza dead, according to recently released court documents.
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Tripp, 65, is accused of shooting Esparza, 21, in the face at a home on Tamarack Avenue. He pleaded not guilty in March to a charge of first-degree murder and has a preliminary hearing scheduled this week.
On Dec. 8, Esparza answered the door and exchanged words with someone others in the home didn’t see but heard.
“It was Gordy,” one resident told police, saying she recognized his voice.
Esparza said something to the effect of, “That’s not real,” then threatened to hit the person with something, possibly a shovel found by the door, if they tried to enter.
“I’ll show you it’s not fake,” the other person said, according to residents’ statements contained in the documents. A loud “bang” followed.
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When others got to the door, Esparza was seated on the floor, bleeding and making gurgling noises, documents said. He was pronounced dead at a hospital.
Tripp disappeared for a while after the shooting, one witness told police. Another person said Tripp admitted to shooting Esparza, according to the documents.
When arrested March 20, Tripp denied involvement.
“The boy was an a——, but I wouldn’t do that to him,” Tripp told police.
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