Man guilty of killing blind friend

SANTA ANA, Calif., Dec. 3 (UPI) -- A Southern California man has been convicted of killing a blind friend to steal his car and sell it for parts.

Ruben Alejandro Oliveros, 27, faces a sentence of life in prison with no parole, The Orange County Register reported. A jury in Santa Ana, Calif., deliberated for more than two days before reaching its verdict of first-degree murder Tuesday.

The victim, Raffi Yessayan, 26, owned a car but he depended on others to drive him because of his eyesight.

Prosecutors said that Oliveros, an alleged member of a gang in Santa Ana, was in the car with other young men. After the driver pulled into a parking lot, Oliveros shot Yessayan in the head, the newspaper said.

Two alleged accomplices face trial on murder charges and others, including Oliveros' brother, as accessories.

Garry and Svetlana Yessayan, the victim's parents, held hands as they heard the verdict.

"We're not happy over this because now somebody else has sorrow in their lives," Garry Yessayan told the Register. "The only difference is that they can visit their son in prison, while we only have pictures."