A Pacific Beach man who stabbed his uncle to death was sentenced on Aug. 12 to 15 years to life in state prison.
San Diego Superior Court Judge Steven Stone ordered Randy Bautista Baisa, 39, to pay $7,300 in funeral costs for Merlino Baustista, 66.
There was no victim impact statement made as relatives of both Baustista and Baisa because family members are related to both men, said Deputy District Attorney Scott Pirrello.
Pirrello said family members were conflicted about how to react as they were sad about Baustista’s slaying, but also sad that his nephew was going to prison for possibly the rest of his life.
The relatives live in Northern California and could not attend the sentencing. Baisa, wearing jail clothes, said nothing in court before he was sentenced.
Baisa withdrew his insanity plea and pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on May 9 in the death of Baustista on Jan. 17, 2018.
Stone ordered that Baisa pay the $7,300 funeral costs to reimburse the state compensation program which paid for the funeral. Portions of any money Baisa receives on his account or any payment for prison earnings will be deducted from his account.
Stone gave Baisa credit for 573 days he has served since his arrest.
Baustista lived with his nephew in the apartment they shared at 1855 Diamond St. in Pacific Beach. He was stabbed 18 times, according to the county medical examiner’s office. Baisa admitted to stabbing his uncle afterwards.
A neighbor testified in the April 2018 preliminary hearing that he had a memory of three years earlier when the victim told him his nephew had been hallucinating and had asked him to call 911. Another detective said there were hand-written instructions for Baisa which were found taped to a wall which suggested that if he becomes manic to “stay in Pacific Beach.” The detective said Baustista slept on a futon bed in the living room and let his nephew sleep in a bed in the only bedroom.