People v. Duenas CA2/3

Filed 11/21/25 P. v. Duenas CA2/3 NOT TO BE PUBLISHED IN THE OFFICIAL REPORTS California Rules of Court, rule 8.1115(a), prohibits courts and parties from citing or relying on opinions not certified for publication or ordered published, except as specified by rule 8.1115(b). This opinion has not been certified for publication or ordered published for purposes of rule 8.1115.

IN THE COURT OF APPEAL OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA

SECOND APPELLATE DISTRICT

DIVISION THREE

THE PEOPLE, B343060

Plaintiff and Respondent, Los Angeles County Super. Ct. No. v. XNWPA100113

SALVADOR DUENAS,

Defendant and Appellant.

APPEAL from a judgment of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County, Gregory A. Dohi, Judge. Affirmed.

Salvador Duenas, in pro. per.; and Naomi L. Svensson, under appointment by the Court of Appeal, for Defendant and Appellant.

No appearance for Plaintiff and Respondent. _________________________

Defendant and appellant Salvador Duenas appeals from his conviction by a jury of first degree residential burglary, person present, and assault with a deadly weapon, a knife. Duenas’s counsel has asked us independently to review the record under People v. Wende (1979) 25 Cal.3d 436 (Wende). We affirm. On the evening of March 18, 2023, Virginia M. went out with her neighbor and friend Destiny Galindo. Duenas—whom Virginia described as her “ex”—had picked up their two boys earlier. Virginia and Duenas were separated; he had moved out and was not living in Virginia’s home. Virginia received a text from Duenas that he was bringing the kids back. Virginia returned to her home around 2:25 a.m. (it was now the next day, March 19) and opened her door (which she had locked). The lights were off. She went into her bedroom and found Duenas “sitting there” on the couch. Virginia and Duenas started arguing. Virginia told him to leave. Duenas took out his pocketknife, with the blade exposed, and put it on Virginia’s neck. Galindo called 911. Duenas eventually left, but he came back, using a spare key he’d taken from the victim’s home. He told Virginia, “ ‘Just to let you know, I took your money.’ ” Virginia found about $10,000 missing as well as her wedding ring and her spare house key. Officers arrived around 3:00 a.m. Officer Eduardo Piche saw Duenas walking on the sidewalk toward a BMW. In Duenas’s right front pocket, Piche found an eight-inch folding knife; the blade when opened was about four inches long. In the BMW Piche found $9,000 in cash.