Two O.C. Jail inmates were convicted of beating up another inmate

Johnny Jose Perez, 40, and Javier Tovar, 34, who are Orange County Jail inmates, were convicted on Tuesday of beating up another man, David Montoya, while they were in custody.

Perez and Tovar were convicted of felony charges including mayhem and assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. A sentencing enhancement for great bodily injury to the victim was also confirmed by the jury. However attempted murder charges were dismissed on March 30.

Tovar was sentenced to 11 more years in prison Tuesday. However he was given credit for 1,200 days (just over three years) in custody.

Perez won’t be sentenced until April 24.

Another co-defendant, Francisco Javier Amaya, 38, pleaded guilty on March 3 and he was then sentenced to 10 more years in prison while another co-defendant, Gabriel Marcos Guerrero, 23, is still awaiting trial.

Montoya was allegedly beaten by the charged inmates on Oct. 13, 2019, while he was in custody at the Theo Lacy Jail, in Orange.

Tovar previously pleaded guilty in August of 2007 to felony charges including assault with a weapon on a peace officer or firefighter, leading police on a chase, car theft, buying or receiving stolen vehicle or equipment, being a convicted person possessing a gun while on probation, possession of a firearm in a school zone and unlawful possession of a concealed firearm in a vehicle.

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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