Final defendant refuses deal, sentenced to life in prison in Tylor Crippen murder

Jacob Segura chose not to accept a prosecution offer of a reduced sentence, so a judge on Wednesday ordered Segura to spend the rest of his life in prison.

Segura, 21, received the life sentence for his involvement in the stabbing death of Tylor Crippen. The 18-year-old was killed during a failed strong-armed robbery attempt on Jan. 29, 2013, at Creekwood Park in east Modesto.

Prosecutors said Crippen was walking near the park with his girlfriend when Segura and two others targeted him, aiming to steal a cellphone. The judge last week handed down sentences of life in prison for Taylor Koplen and Juan Garcia in the Crippen murder case; unlike Segura, the other two could become eligible for parole.

Carlos Serrano, Crippen’s father, said after Segura’s sentencing that his son’s life was not the only one lost that night in the park. He said the three defendants have also lost their lives, all for “something stupid.”

The father also said he can’t express the pain his son’s family has endured in the past three years. Crippen lived with his father near Creekwood Park, and Serrano saw his son head out for an evening stroll with his girlfriend.

“No matter what the outcome (of the trial) is, my son will never be back,” Serrano said.

Violet Crippen-Hachey, Crippen’s mother, said the final sentencing in her son’s case does provide some emotional closure.

“It’s so sad,” she said about the three young defendants. “I was really sad and depressed. I cried all weekend. Not only for Tylor, but also for the defendants and their families.”

Crippen-Hachey said she visits a memorial tree planted for her son at Creekwood Park several times a week. She and others decorate the tree for each season; they recently took down Christmas decorations and put up Valentine’s Day decorations. On her son’s birthday, they celebrate near the tree with his favorite meals: pepperoni pizza and bean-and-cheese burritos.

“It helps make me feel like he’s still part of us,” Crippen-Hachey said, standing outside the courthouse. The family plans to host a candlelight vigil at Creekwood Park at 6:30 p.m. on the third anniversary of Crippen’s death.

Segura’s sentencing was delayed a week so his attorney, Mark Sullivan, could consult an appellate attorney. The prosecution apparently had offered Segura a sentence of 28 years to life in prison in exchange for waiving his right to appeal the verdict. Sullivan called the offer cruel and unusual punishment for a young man who didn’t commit the killing.

Prosecutors say Koplen stabbed Crippen during the botched robbery after all three defendants chased Crippen into the park. They argued that Segura and Garcia joined Koplen in that attempted robbery.

At Wednesday afternoon’s hearing, Sullivan called the crime a drunken, spontaneous incident by Koplen.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Marlisa Ferreira argued that the defendant had a choice when Koplen brandished the knife to rob Crippen and his girlfriend.

The prosecutor said Segura could have just left.

“Instead, he chased (Crippen down),” Ferreira said.

Judge Dawna Reeves said life in prison without parole was the appropriate sentence for Segura, especially since the law mandates it for a defendant at least 18 years old when the murder occurred. His co-defendants were minors when Crippen was killed. The judge said Crippen was a vulnerable victim because he was a smaller young man facing three attackers.

The judge also said Segura initiated a fight against Alex Salazar, which eventually led to Crippen’s murder. Salazar was attacked at the same park minutes before Crippen and his girlfriend were accosted. Prosecutors said a pocketknife stolen from Salazar was used to kill Crippen.

Segura was sentenced to an additional three years in prison for the Salazar robbery. Because he refused the prosecution deal, Segura can appeal his verdict and sentence.

This story was originally published January 13, 2016 at 8:36 PM with the headline "Final defendant refuses deal, sentenced to life in prison in Tylor Crippen murder."