H.B. man sentenced in veteran’s death

A Huntington Beach man was sentenced to 15 years to life in state prison Wednesday for the murder of a World War II veteran on Veterans Day almost a decade ago, according to the Orange County district attorney’s office.

John Kirk McKinney, 30, and Curtis James Hill, 29, of Huntington Beach, have been found guilty of murdering 77-year-old Cecil Warren while trying to rob his van on Nov. 11, 2003. McKinney was convicted May 21.

Warren was in a coma for three and a half years before dying from the injuries he sustained during the beating, according to prosecutors.

At about 4:45 a.m., McKinney and Hill got into Warren’s van to steal from it. Warren, who worked as a handyman, was cleaning a bank parking lot in Huntington Beach, prosecutors said.

When Warren noticed them in his van and confronted them, they attacked him, kicked and hit him in the head, then took his wallet and left him severely injured, according to prosecutors.

A pedestrian found Warren bleeding on the ground about 30 minutes later and called for help.

Warren was able to give police some description of McKinney and Hill before falling into a coma, prosecutors said.

Both McKinney and Hill were convicted of the beating and began serving a sentence, but Warren died shortly before they were released, resulting in the murder charges, according to prosecutors.

mona.shadia@latimes.com

Twitter: @MonaShadia