NEWARK, N.J., April 5 (UPI) -- A jury Tuesday convicted a third defendant in the Newark, N.J., schoolyard triple slaying.
The jury deliberated a total of 20 hours over four days before finding Alexander Alfaro, 20, guilty, The (Newark) Star-Ledger reported.
Alfaro was convicted on 16 of the 17 counts against him, including the murders of all three victims, the newspaper said. The jury acquitted him of one count of attempted murder in the wounding of a fourth victim, Nastasha Aeriel, 19.
The verdict came an hour after the judge decided the jury could continue its deliberations despite learning one juror has two criminal matters pending against her.
Alfaro faces multiple life sentences in prison for the Aug. 4, 2007, slayings of Iofemi Hightower, Dashon Harvey, both 20, and Terrance Aeriel, 18. He is the third of six defendants to be convicted in the case.
Authorities said the defendants had ties to the Central American street gang MS-13.
