PITTSBURG — A man was convicted this week of murdering another man by stomping the victim’s face in during a fistfight.

Billy Ray Darby Jr., 29, was convicted of first degree murder, aggravated mayhem, and assault in the Aug. 20, 2024 killing of 65-year-old Chito Avelino Ituriaga. The jury found him not guilty of assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury, authorities said.

Darby beat and stomped Ituriaga around 6:35 a.m., on the 2200 block of Railroad Avenue in Pittsburg, causing serious injuries to his face, police said at the time. The attack was captured on video and Darby was arrested shortly thereafter.

Sentencing has been set for Feb. 6, 2026, before Judge John Cope. Darby faces 25 years to life for the murder conviction alone.

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