OAKLAND — A former Circle K clerk was transferred to state prison for killing a suspected shoplifter, but before being sent away, he heard from his victim’s mother in court.
“It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Every single day is one of sorrow and heartache. Every day,” said Carolyn Escorcio at a May court hearing. Her son, Ethan Daniel Escorcio, was shot and killed in July 2020 at a Circle K in Alameda, allegedly while attempting to shoplift cigarettes.
The clerk, Wenyong Huang, 31, was charged with murder. This year, he settled the case by pleading no contest to manslaughter and accepting a 12-year prison term. He was transferred to prison on July 24, and is currently incarcerated in Delano, records show.
Carolyn Escorcio described her son “a sweet and compassionate boy” who loved art, cross-country riding, animals, and spending time with his family. She said she’s haunted by the idea that after being shot, he was “laying there waiting for help that wouldn’t come.”
“He had a great gentle spirit and soul. He loved animals, particularly dogs. He loved his dog. He loved his Shih Tzu,” Escorcio said. “Even the dog missed Ethan … Nobody deserves to die like that.”
Others in Ethan Escorcio’s family urged Judge Clifford Blakley to reject the plea deal, arguing that Huang should have been prosecuted for murder: They claimed that Escorcio was walking out of the store with his back turned when he was killed.
Police said at the time of the July 11, 2020 homicide that Escorcio went behind the counter of a Circle K where Huang worked and grabbed a pack of cigarettes from a casing. Huang, who reportedly recognized Escorcio as a repeat shoplifter, grabbed a pistol from his waistband and fired, hitting Escorcio in the head. Authorities said Huang pointed the gun at Escorcio’s neck, then fired after Escorcio stepped toward him.
“Mr. Huang chose to press the gun to my brother’s head and pull the trigger,” Escorcio’s sister, Krystal Sutton, said in court. “This is not the actions of someone who wants to stop petty theft or is in fear for their life. That is the actions of a killer.”
Annie Beles, the defense attorney representing Huang, spoke in court after the family. She referred to her client by his American name, Terry.
“Terry has expressed remorse and feels terrible about this from the instant that it occurred. He stayed on scene. He called 911,” Beles said. She later added: “Terry will be going to prison with the guilt and shame and remorse about taking someone else’s life. He is going to address that, and he has told me that he is going to honor Ethan’s life by never doing anything like this again. Not having a gun, not being violent.”
Judge Clifford Blakely acknowledged the “devastating” impact of the crime but said after considering all the relevant factors he was still going ahead with the deal, despite Escorcio’s family’s outcry.
“I wish that I could do something that could make your pain go away. I can’t. Whether it’s life in prison, it won’t. Trust me. Thirty years of doing this. It won’t,” Blakely said. “I acknowledge your sorrow and your pain, and I hear you. I promise you, I hear you.”