Defendant in gang beating death sentenced to 11 years in prison

RANCHO CUCAMONGA - A man charged with murder for his alleged connection to a 2006 beating death has been sentenced to 11 years in state prison after accepting a plea offer from prosecutors.

Sherwin Adrian Mora, 23, was arrested and charged with murder in 2007 for the killing of 22-year-old Armando Leon Hernandez.

According to the prosecutors, a 17-year-old girl befriended Hernandez on MySpace.com and lured him to her Rancho Cucamonga home, where Hernandez was beaten to death by Mora and Ivan Pierce, 23, both alleged gang members.

Hernandez and the two alleged murderers were gang rivals, prosecutors believe.

Hernandez suffered a crushed throat in the beating.

His body was found on Sept. 23, 2006 by a security guard in Memorial Park in Upland.

Mora was sentenced to prison after agreeing to plead no contest to voluntary manslaughter on Feb. 20 in West Valley Superior Court.

Pierce has rejected an identical offer for 11 years in prison, Deputy District Attorney Debbie Ploghaus said.

At the conclusion of a trial in 2007, a jury deadlocked seven to five in favor of acquittal for Pierce.

Prosecutors refiled charges against him.

Prosecutors intially charged the 17-year-old girl with murder, but later granted her immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony against Mora and Piere.

Staff writer Rod Leveque contributed to this report.