CA v. Jesse Alvarez: Lover Stalker Murder Trial

SAN DIEGO (Court TV) — A California man convicted of killing a beloved teacher who was engaged to his ex will spend the rest of his life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Defendant Jesse Alvarez is pictured in court on Feb. 26, 2024. (Scripps News San Diego)

Jesse Alvarez was convicted of murdering Mario Fierro, his ex-girlfriend’s fiancé, at his home on Feb. 1, 2021. Sentencing, initially scheduled for Feb. 3, was postponed at the last minute after Alvarez tested positive for COVID-19. The sentence was eventually handed down on Feb. 5.

At trial, prosecutors said that Alvarez waited about an hour for Fierro, 37, to emerge from his home and opened fire when he came outside at about 7 a.m., shooting him several times. Fierro died at the scene. Alvarez was captured by authorities later that day.

Testimony revealed Alvarez was upset because Fierro had become engaged to Amy Gembara, whom Alvarez had dated for over three years.

Gembara, who testified she broke off her relationship with Alvarez in Sept. 2019, requested a restraining order in Jan. 2020. At the time, she accused Alvarez of cyberstalking and an attempted break-in at her apartment, which forced her to change her locks and install cameras.

In her filing documents, Gembara stated that Alvarez “engaged in a pattern of control, manipulation, and emotional abuse,” and that his behavior became “erratic and escalated over time” following their breakup.

The judge ultimately denied Gembara’s restraining order request, saying she “did not meet her burden of proof that abuse has occurred within the meaning of the Domestic Violence Protection Act.”

At a preliminary hearing in Feb. 2022, investigators said Alvarez had taken classes at a gun range prior to the shooting and had allegedly asked an instructor: “Where’s the best place to shoot someone to kill them?”

Alvarez pled not guilty to charges of murder as well as a special circumstance allegation of lying in wait. A jury convicted him of first-degree murder.