Death recommended for O.C. man guilty of murder, sexual assault

An Orange County jury Wednesday recommended the death penalty for a man convicted in a string of rapes, physical assaults and killing a woman in an Anaheim motel room.

The same Superior Court jury last month found Waymon Livingston, 29, guilty of one felony count of special circumstances murder in the commission of sodomy, three felony counts of forcible rape and one felony count of aggravated assault.

Livingston was arrested by Anaheim police at his Stanton home Oct. 11, 2007, after being linked through DNA to three rapes.

While in custody, his DNA was linked to the sexual assault and killing of Melissa Ann Gonzalez, 21, of Sacramento, whose body was found in an Anaheim motel room Sept. 9, 2007.

Livingston is scheduled to be sentenced April 26.

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-- Carla Rivera