The suspect in the death of a California grocery store employee in the parking lot has been found guilty of what prosecutors have described as a “senseless and tragic” crime.
On Friday, a jury convicted Demetrius Ford, 32, of voluntary manslaughter, assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, and involuntary manslaughter. The case stems from a fight that occurred the night of January 1, 2023.
As midnight approached, Ford and a friend went to the Superior Grocer on Union Avenue in Bakersfield, California’s Central Valley, to buy more drinks for the party they were attending, according to a press release from the Kern County District Attorney’s Office. The store, however, was not open to the public.
When the suspect realized this, he allegedly backed his vehicle into an employee’s parked truck, which was sitting there waiting for his midnight shift to begin.
The two men had a “short verbal exchange” outside Ford’s car, and as he walked back to his vehicle, the employee “used his phone to take a picture of Ford” and his vehicle, according to the district attorney’s office.
This allegedly made Ford “angry,” and he is said to have approached and begun “hitting the employee who took his photo.” Two other grocery store employees who were in the parking lot at the time came to defend their colleague. Ford’s friend was also allegedly involved in the altercation.
One of the Superior Grocer employees, Juan Urvina, 54, was “acting as a peacemaker” before Ford threw him to the ground, according to authorities. Ford then turned his attention to another worker, and as he and his friend were “assaulting one of the employees,” Urvina stood up and attempted to assist his colleague.
“Before Urvina could help, Ford forcefully punched Urvina in his face, causing him to immediately go limp, and fall down, with the back of his head striking the concrete surface,” according to the district attorney’s office!
Urvina was taken to a nearby hospital, but he “never regained consciousness” and was pronounced dead the following day.
“Ford’s decision to violently assault three employees without provocation was senseless and tragic,” Kern County Assistant District Attorney Joseph Kinzel stated. “Ford assaulted a smaller, older man despite his obvious physical advantage. Ford’s complete disregard for Mr. Urvina’s life justifies the prison sentence he should face.”
Ford is scheduled to be sentenced on August 19, and prosecutors say he faces up to 11 years in prison. He was arrested five days after the attack on Urvina, but was released after the district attorney’s office requested further investigation, according to Bakersfield NBC affiliate, KGET. He was arrested again on May 30, 2024.
When questioned by law enforcement after his first arrest, Ford blamed the fight on someone “talking s—,” according to the outlet, citing court documents that also show he admitted to being drunk at the time of the incident.
