SIMI VALLEY, California – A man convicted and sentenced to life in prison for killing his girlfriend was attacked in the courtroom by the victim’s stepfather before he was led away. Euren Balbuena, 33, was convicted in November of the 2020 murder of then-31-year-old Zaira Patino-Trejo. Balbuena stabbed Patino-Trejo over 30 times in front of her mother, Ariana Avetisyan, whom he also slashed in the head.
During Avetisyan’s victim impact statement, her husband suddenly lunged at Balbuena and ‘landed a punch or two’ at the killer before they had to split up, according to a spokesperson for Ventura County. The impact statements continued after a delay of about 45 minutes to remove the stepfather from the courtroom.
The DA’s office has yet to file any charges against the stepfather. Balbuena was convicted on charges of battery causing great bodily injury, and assault with a deadly weapon in addition to first-degree murder. He now faces 33 years to life in prison.
Patino-Trejo’s mother, Avetisyan, went to the couple’s apartment in Simi Valley on February 17, 2020 after not having heard from her and knowing a history of domestic violence between them. When she arrived, she saw signs of physical harm done by Balbuena on her daughter’s face. She tried to get Patino-Trejo to leave Balbuena before he blocked them and slashed Avetisyan twice across her face.
He then used multiple knives to stab his girlfriend at least 30 times – which prosecutors saying it was closer to 95. Avetisyan ran from the scene and called 911 after her daughter died, her face still bleeding, according to a bystander she flagged for help.
Authorities said they believed police had responded to the apartment on previous occasions, but did not provide further information. Patino-Trejo worked for Merrill Lynch, with the company paying tribute to her in a statement. ‘Zaira was a valued member of our team and served our clients with great professionalism and care,’ a company spokesman said. ‘Our heartfelt condolences go out to her entire family, friends and those that were fortunate enough to know her.’
Supervising Senior Deputy District Attorney Melissa Suttner said in a statement, ‘We cannot replace her unimaginable loss, but we pursued justice for Zaira and her family. We hope that this sentence brings some small relief to her family, knowing that Euren Balbuena was held accountable for her brutal murder.’