Man Guilty in 2 Murders at Pizzeria

A Lake View Terrace man was convicted Monday of murdering two employees of a pizza parlor during a robbery.

A San Fernando Superior Court jury deliberated three days before convicting Reginald Leon Morris, 22, of two counts of murder and one count of robbery.

Sean Patrick Linn, 23, of Granada Hills and Freddie Zuniga, 24, of San Fernando were killed by a robber Aug. 21, 1988, while cleaning the Domino’s Pizza store in the 11900 block of Foothill Boulevard after closing it.

Morris was convicted of participating in the robbery with a 16-year-old boy. Because the boy worked as a cook at the pizza parlor, he and Morris were allowed to enter the locked store, authorities said.

The boy, who pleaded guilty to the same charges and is in the custody of the California Youth Authority, testified that he and Morris decided to rob the store together. He said he shot Linn and Zuniga because they knew him and could identify him.

Morris, however, testified that he accompanied the boy to the pizza store but did not participate in the robbery or the killing.

Under California law, a person who takes part in a robbery or other felony that results in a killing can be convicted of murder.

Linn died the night of the robbery. Zuniga died in a hospital nearly two months later.

Police identified the robbers with the help of the 16-year-old’s father, who returned from a business trip the night of the robbery and found a handgun missing from his home. The man found his son at the pizza store moments after the robbery, saw one of the dying victims and called police, detectives said.

Judge Ronald S. Coen scheduled sentencing for April 9. Morris faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.