| Roommate Kills Originator
Rehab patient convicted in murder of Alvaro Ledezma April 4, 2005 By PATRICK CROWLEY |
| A young loan officer’s attempt to be successful at originating was tragically cut short by a recently-rehabilitated drug user’s anger over exclusion from a trip planned with mortgage business associates.Alvaro Ledezma was just starting to make it in the mortgage business.
The 28-year-old originator was working for a small mortgage brokerage in Santa Ana, an Orange County suburb with a large Hispanic population. He had started carving out a niche — helping people in the neighborhood realize the so-called American dream of owning a home. But on the night of Dec. 30, 2002, Ledezma was found dead in his Santa Ana apartment. He had been shot twice at close range, taking one bullet in the back, the other in the back of the head. Police were originally told that Ledezma died in a drug deal gone bad. But the killer turned out to be his roommate, a 23-year-old named Skylar Tree Carlson. Carlson was convicted March 17 of first degree murder and is scheduled to be sentenced to prison on April 29 in Orange County Superior Court, Orange County Deputy District Attorney Larry Yellin told MortgageDaily.com. Carlson, who had denied killing Ledezma, faces 50 year to life in prison, Yellin said. “It’s sad,” Yellin said. “The woman (Ledezma) was working for was trying to set up a refi gig. At that point the market for refis was actually doing good. He was carving out a niche working with Hispanics in Santa Ana. He had visions of really helping people out, but he wanted to be fair and still make some good money.“ Police tried to question Carlson after Ledezma’s body was discovered, but they couldn’t find him. They also noted at Ledezma’s car was missing. Police did know, however, that Carlson had recently been released from a stint in drug rehab, Yellin said. Investigators went to the drug rehab facility and began interviewing people who were in with Carlson. “The first thing we get is the roommate’s statements he made to girls he knew from drug rehab,” Yellin said. “They said (Carlson) came over and said he shot his roommate.“ Police continued searching for Carlson. He was eventually spotted by police driving Ledezma’s car. A gun was on the front seat, Yellin said. No clear motive was ever established, Yellin said. “There were hints and allegations about a trip (Ledezma) was supposed to be taking with his mortgage business friends,” Yellin said. “This guy wanted to go but was possibly told he could not go. He told the girls he argued about it with (Ledezma).“ During the trial the defense put on testimony that Ledezma was killed by a “big time drug dealer” and that Carlson just took the car but had nothing to do with the shooting, Yellin said. “But the jury didn’t buy it,” he said. Carlson’s lawyers could not be reached to comment. |
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Patrick Crowley is a political reporter and columnist and former business writer for The Cincinnati Enquirer. Email Patrick at: pcrowley@enquirer.com |
