Man convicted of killing Long Beach mom, daughter restrained in court, sentenced to life

Friday, February 2, 2018
LONG BEACH, Calif. (KABC) -- An Oklahoma man convicted of killing a Long Beach mother and her young daughter caused a scene in court after refusing to listen to the victim impact statements.

Brandon Colbert Jr., 23, tried to get out of his seat and walk out of the courtroom as friends and victims were about to speak. That's when Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies pounced on him and forced him to the floor.
[Ads /]
"You're going to sit here and listen to them now. Stop it," Superior Court Judge Jesse I. Rodriguez told Colbert shortly before he tried to rise from his seat.

"I want to get out of here ... I don't care about this," Colbert responded.

After Colbert was detained, the hearing had to be delayed while the sheriff's department conducted a "use of force" investigation and interviewed people in court who saw what happened.

MORE: Tearful vigil held for slain Long Beach mom, 4-year-old daughter
Vigil held for 4-year-old girl, mother fatally shot near home in Long Beach


When the hearing resumed, Colbert was restrained in a "safety chair," with the judge telling him it was "because of your disruption." Rodriguez subsequently denied Colbert's request that the rest of the hearing not be recorded by a television news crew.



The judge sentenced Colbert to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibility of parole in the double murder.

Colbert was convicted of killing Carina Mancera and her 4-year-old daughter, Jennabel Anaya in 2016.
[Ads /]
Police said Colbert opened fire on Mancera, Luis Anaya and their child, Jennabel, after they returned from grocery shopping shortly before 9:30 p.m. on Aug. 6.

Mancera was pronounced dead at the scene, and the toddler was taken to a hospital where she died. The father was not struck by gunfire.

Colbert was also sentenced to another life term for the attempted murder of the girl's father, along with 75 years to life for personally discharging a firearm.



The family was returning home from the grocery store when Colbert opened fire on them with a shotgun.

City News Service contributed to this report.
Copyright © 2024 KABC Television, LLC. All rights reserved.