Fresno jury reaches verdict in 2018 shooting homicide of Fig Garden teen

A Fresno County jury on Monday found a 25-year-old man guilty of first-degree murder in the 2018 shooting death of Nicholas Kauls, 17.

Kauls’ mother, Lisa Kauls, who has steadfastly attended every day of the trial, broke down in tears as judicial assistant Diane Franco read the words, “We, the jury, in the above entitled action find the defendant, Joseph Antonio Espinoza, guilty of first-degree murder of Nicholas Kauls ....”

Espinoza sat silently, his long hair pulled back in a pony tail, wearing a sky blue dress shirt and glasses. He showed little to no emotion as the judicial assistant read guilty for nearly every one of the 17 felony charges against him, including attempted murder, assault with a semi-automatic weapon and attempted second-degree robbery.

Sentencing for Espinoza will take place Jan. 26 in Judge Jonathan B. Conklin’s courtroom, Dept. 72. He faces life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Kauls, a San Joaquin Memorial student, was shot outside a home in the Fig Garden neighborhood on June 24, 2018. A bullet struck Kauls in the head and he died four days later in the hospital. The killing sent shock waves through the neighborhood of tree-lined streets and historic homes.

Prosecutor Deborah Miller argued during the trial that Espinoza shot and killed Kauls during a random robbery attempt. Espinoza and several others were on a robbery spree that night, desperately trying to collect enough cash to bail out a friend who was in jail on a weapons charge.

Espinoza’s defense attorney, Ralph Torres, tried to convince the jury that the district attorney had only circumstantial evidence against his client.

But the prosecutor connected the murder weapon to Espinoza through a witness who testified that while Espinoza was staying at her home, he took her 9 mm pistol the night of the shooting.

Ballistics tests showed it was the same gun used to kill Kauls.

Jurors also heard a jail phone call recorded after Kauls was killed, where Espinoza appeared to brag about the murder.

Miller, who also became emotional after the hearing was over, said she was grateful for the verdict and for bringing justice to Lisa Kauls and her supporters.

“The jury did the right thing and we respect their decision,” Miller said. “They were very thoughtful and professional.”

This story was originally published November 22, 2021 at 3:32 PM.