Felon Who Perpetrated Shotgun Slaying in Desert Hot Springs Sentenced

A convicted felon who killed a Desert Hot Springs man while vandalizing his property in a feud connected to a business transaction was sentenced today to 50 years to life in state prison.

A Banning jury in May convicted James John Angle, 48, of Indio of first-degree murder for the 2018 death of Joseph Gimino. Jurors also found Angle guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and sentence enhancing gun and great bodily allegations.

During a hearing at the Banning Justice Center Friday, Riverside County Superior Court Judge Rene Navarro imposed the sentence required by law.

Angle's co-defendant, 31-year-old Raymond Villegas Jr., pleaded guilty last year to being a felon with a gun, as well as charges tied to another case, and was sentenced to 16 months in state prison.

According to an arrest warrant declaration filed by Desert Hot Springs police Detective Troy Castillo, Angle had purchased a backup generator from Gimino in early December 2018 via an online vendor, but within a few days of the defendant retrieving it, he re-contacted the victim and "accused him of originally stealing the generator from him -- Angle -- and then reselling it back to him."

There were "multiple" messages from Angle demanding the victim return his cash, which Gimino refused, according to the affidavit.

On the night of Dec. 11, 2018, Angle went to the victim's business, where police suspected an illicit gambling operation was active at 66523 Pierson Blvd., and began slashing the tires on Gimino's pickup.

Security surveillance video cameras recorded most of what transpired next.

Gimino raced outside with a .45-cailiber semiautomatic pistol, then proceeded to "chase Angle around the vehicle,'' Castillo said.    Angle had planned on a confrontation and ran to the passenger side of his SUV, where he grabbed a 12-gauge pump shotgun and fired, striking the victim in the upper right arm, the declaration said.

Gimino collapsed, seriously wounded. His pistol flew out of his hand, landing nearby, where Villegas, who had been observing the confrontation and knew Angle, picked up the gun, then got into the defendant's vehicle, and the two sped away.

The victim was taken to Desert Regional Medical Center, where he spent three days in intensive care before succumbing to the shotgun wound. Two days prior to his death, he was alert and spoke with investigators, giving them details they used to obtain an arrest warrant for both Angle and Villegas.

The latter was taken into custody after a pursuit in Desert Hot Springs on Dec. 22, 2018. Angle was arrested without incident on Jan. 10, 2019, in Rancho Mirage.

He had a prior conviction for grand larceny.

Villegas had priors for battery on a peace officer and possession of controlled substances for sale.

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