Jack in the Box murder ends with 50-year sentence

A 43-year-old man found guilty of shooting and killing a Newport

Beach resident in broad daylight last year was sentenced Friday to 50

years to life in prison.

Ramadan Dokovic of Downey was convicted June 5 of murdering

Miroslav Maric, 49, in a crowded Jack in the Box restaurant parking

lot at the corner of 17th Street and Tustin Avenue on May 18, 2001.

The grisly incident was witnessed by several people, many who

testified during the trial.

The trial also unfolded details about a credit card fraud ring

operated in the Newport-Mesa area by Dokovic’s cousin Mike Dokovic.

Ramadan Dokovic told police that he met Maric, a close associate

of Mike Dokovic, to get stolen Rolex watches from him. He said a

local jeweler was going to pay him $20,000 in exchange for the

watches.

The FBI has issued arrest warrants for both Mike Dokovic and his

brother Amo Dokovic, in connection with the fraud ring.

The defense argued during the trial that Dokovic shot Maric in

self defense. But the prosecution established successfully that

Dokovic murdered Maric while committing a robbery. The act of

demanding the stolen property from Maric and using a gun to do so

itself amounted to armed robbery, the prosecution maintained.

Dokovic originally was scheduled to be sentenced on June 28, but

it was postponed to Friday.

Costa Mesa Police Chief Dave Snowden said he is pleased with the

sentence on the case that investigators say is the most public

shooting in the city’s history.

“It was a complicated case,” he said. “It was the way it happened.

What appeared to be a common fight in the parking lot turned out to

be far more intricate.”

* DEEPA BHARATH covers public safety and courts. She may be

reached at (949) 574-4226 or by e-mail at deepa.bharath@latimes.com.