Luis Bracamontes was also convicted of attempted murder, carjacking, weapons violations and other crimes.
A man in the United States illegally who killed two California police officers smiled after being found guilty of the slayings and said he’d kill more cops as he was led out of the courtroom.
Luis Bracamontes, 37, was convicted on Friday in the 2014 killings of Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy Danny Oliver and Placer Sheriff’s Detective Michael Davis Jr.
“Yay,” he said, smiling after the first verdict was read, KOVR- TV reported. He continued smiling as he looked at the victims' families and the jurors.
Bracamontes was also convicted of attempted murder, carjacking, weapons violations and other crimes.
“I’m going to kill more cops soon,” he said as he was led out of the courtroom.
Prosecutors said Bracamontes intentionally shot Deputy Oliver in the parking lot of a Motel 6, before killing Det. Davis Jr. hours later.
Bracamontes then led police on an hours-long chase before he was caught, officials said.
Defense attorneys said Bracamontes is mentally ill and was high on methamphetamine at the time, The Sacramento Bee reported.
"Mr. Bracamontes clearly was not in his right mind," Dawson said. "His mind was altered."
But Bracamontes refused to enter a not guilty plea by reason of insanity, and he was found competent to stand trial.
"This is nothing but willful conduct from start to finish," Placer County prosecutor Dave Tellman said. "He had the intent to kill."
During his trial, Bracamontes was reportedly barred from the courtroom after repeated outbursts.
He also made repeated threats against deputies and others since his arrest, Tellman said.
“This is unadulterated hate,” Tellman said.
Bracamontes is a Mexican citizen who repeatedly entered the U.S. illegally, officials said.
President Donald Trump used Bracamontes’ outburst during the opening moments of the trial—“I killed f***ing cops. They’re f***ing dead. I don’t f***ing regret that”—in a 30-second commercial on the anniversary of his inauguration.
The ad said Democrats were “complicit” in the killings of police by those in the country illegally.
After Bracamontes was found guilty, Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones said his immigration status has no bearing on the crimes he committed, the New York Daily News reported.
“The fact that he’s an illegal alien or an undocumented immigrant, been removed four times, that doesn’t make him evil,” he said. “He is evil because he’s a despicable human being that just happens to be here illegally.”
Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty for Bracamontes, who has reportedly requested to be executed.
He will be sentenced on March 5.
Bracamontes’ wife, Janelle Marquez Monroy, who was in the car during the pursuit, is also on trial.
A separate jury is considering whether Monroy, an American citizen, should be convicted of murder.
Her attorneys have said that Bracamontes was abusive and paranoid, and that Monroy was a victim.
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