Man free from charges, not from fear after verdict


Reported by: Marci Gonzales
Photographed by: Dennis Burke & Blain Logan
A not guilty verdict was announced Monday for Norman Borden, the man on trial for shooting two people to death during an argument.
After several hours of deliberation, the jury ruled that Norman Borden should face no consequences for shooting and killing Christopher Aruajo and Saul Trejo.
After an argument in October, investigators say Aruajo crashed a Jeep near Borden and Borden opened fire.
Borden claimed self defense, shooting to protect himself from the suspected gang members.
Araujo's fiance tells NewsChannel 5 she's outraged by the verdict.
"This is ridiculous. How can you shoot somebody, my husband was the driver, he was shot seven times in the face. How is it self defense?"
Borden won't comment on his plans now that he's free.
Those close to the case worry about his safety.
A gang member burned Borden's home down after the shooting, in retaliation, and more attacks are feared.

In the hours before the incident, Mendez and Araujo watched the movie Scarface and drank "a couple of 12-packs" of beer, Mendez said.

Sometime after 2 a.m., they and Michael Garcia, the brother of Araujo's fiancee, heard voices down the street, Mendez said. The three got in Araujo's Jeep to investigate because they didn't think anybody else should be on Araujo's street.

They saw Borden and a friend walking the dogs, made a U-turn and yelled taunts as they drove close to him, Mendez said. Araujo became enraged when Borden kicked the passenger door of his Jeep as it passed close by, he said.

The group returned to Araujo's apartment, dropped off Garcia, 13, and went to the nearby house of Trejo. "(Borden) was a pretty big guy. We probably needed another person if we were going to rough him up a little bit," Mendez said.

Trejo was the local leader of a national violent street gang known as Sur 13, authorities say.

Mendez was shot several times in both legs by Borden. Araujo was shot seven times in the face. Trejo was killed by a single shot that pierced his heart.

Borden probably thought Araujo — who was at the wheel of the Jeep — was trying to run him over, Mendez conceded.

Borden began shooting at him and the others through the Jeep's windshield, Mendez testified. From there, in what "seemed instant," Borden went around to the driver's side and kept firing, he said.