An Anaheim man is set to spend at least 25 years behind bars after a judge handed down a harsh sentence for a brutal killing. 23-year-old Miguel Angel Orellana was sentenced today to 25 years to life in state prison for the cold-blooded murder of 62-year-old David Nakaki, who was fatally stabbed over four years ago during a neighborhood walk after work.
Orellana, who had earlier pled guilty to one felony count of first-degree murder, was also found to have personally used a knife to permanently silence Nakaki during the horrific attack. According to the press release from the Orange County District Attorney's Office, the incident took place on the evening of Dec. 9, 2019. Orellana approached the victim looking to quickly rob him, but when Nakaki disclosed that he didn't have any money on him, Orellana violently took his life instead.
The case took a turn when Erika Pineda, Orellana’s girlfriend, was implicated in the crime. She is charged with one felony count each of conspiracy to commit a robbery and being an accessory after the fact. Pineda, who was 29 at the time, was behind the wheel of the getaway vehicle. Facing a maximum sentence of nearly six years, she will appear in court on April 19 for a pretrial hearing.
"This is as cold-hearted and ruthless as a homicide case can be," District Attorney Todd Spitzer said in a statement obtained by the Orange County DA's office. "Instead of walking away, this defendant decided to needlessly take someone's life and leave a family with a lifetime of grief and mourning because of a reckless act."
Senior Deputy District Attorney Anna McIntire from the Homicide Unit was the lead prosecutor on this harrowing case, one which saw justice finally served for a senseless act that ended the life of a man beloved by his community and family.
