Man sentenced to 40 years to life for Stanton killing

SANTA ANA — A 43-year-old man was sentenced Wednesday to 40 years to life in prison for fatally shooting the on-again, off-again boyfriend of one of his drug-dealing associates in a Stanton motel.
Joel Brandon Martinez was convicted Feb. 15, 2024, of second-degree murder and conspiracy to commit a crime and possession of a gun by a felon, all felonies. Jurors also found true a sentencing enhancement for discharge of a gun causing death.
Co-defendant Amy Lynn Black was sentenced in April to