SAN DIEGO — The murderer of a beloved teacher and coach from Cathedral Catholic High School has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole, plus an additional 25 years to life.
Last March, a jury found Jesse M. Alvarez, 34, guilty of first-degree murder, including the special circumstance of lying in wait, for killing Mario Fierro in early 2021.
“The defendant ambushed the victim and repeatedly shot him to death in a most cowardly and cruel manner,” San Diego District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a Feb. 5 statement.
Alvarez planned and committed the murder after discovering that Fierro was engaged to his ex-girlfriend, who was a teacher at the high school.
On the morning of Feb. 1, 2021, Alvarez arrived at Fierro’s home, ready to kill him. After waiting one hour for Fierro to come out of his home, Alvarez ambushed him, shooting him six times.
The killing stunned the tight-knit school community, which held special events to commemorate his life and established a scholarship in his name.
Fierro, 37, was an alumnus of the University of San Diego High School. He graduated in 2002 — three years before the school transitioned into present-day Cathedral Catholic High School.
He joined the faculty of Cathedral Catholic in 2016 as a social studies teacher.
He had served as an assistant track-and-field coach at the school for about 10 years. But, about three years before his death, he decided to focus on coaching football.
Four years ago, amidst the shock of his death, Fierro’s colleagues shared with The Southern Cross their insights into his devout Catholic faith, his dedication to his work, and his personality.
“Mario was ‘all in’ on life, and he lived a short life, but he lived a great life,” Cathedral Catholic President and Interim Principal Kevin Calkins said at the time.
“He cares — truly cares — about everybody he comes in contact with,” said Head Football Coach Sean Doyle, whom Fierro served as an assistant coach. “He enjoys life, he enjoys what he does, and he enjoys it to the fullest. He does not do anything halfway.”
