Prosecutors:

Circumstantial evidence and the testimony of a man along for the ride in a deadly drive-by shooting prove Joshua Blount gunned down Israel Maciel in a Costa Mesa alley in 2006, a prosecutor argued in the trial’s closing statements this afternoon.

Blount, 24, is accused of murdering the Costa Mesa resident and wounding four of his friends in an August 2006 drive-by shooting. Anthony Dispensa, who is charged as an accessory to murder, testified during the trial that he was in the car with Blount at the time of the shooting and saw him do it.

Defense attorneys argue Dispensa was the gunman.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Matt Murphy spent hours with the jury going over prosecutors’ case against Blount.

Murphy pointed to witnesses. Men wounded in the attack identified Blount in a photo line-up.

Cell phone records show Blount’s phone was used to make calls in Costa Mesa to Tustin and back to Costa Mesa, Murphy said. That backs up Dispensa’s testimony of Blount’s movements before the shooting, Murphy argued.

“It’s exactly what you would expect if Dispensa was telling the truth,” Murphy told jurors. “How do you get around this? Using common sense, how do you get around this?”

Murphy added that evidence showed only one shooter on that night. Forensics experts showed the bullets came from a 9-mm Glock pistol. Police found 9-mm bullets, a Glock cleaning kit and a Glock owner’s manual in Blount’s home, not Dispensa’s, Murphy argued.

“This [case] is screaming out for justice. It’s a whodunit ladies and gentleman. And that’s who did it,” Murphy said, pointing to Blount. “Now folks, I’m going to ask you. Please, please take care of business on this one. You should hold that man accountable for what he did.”

Defense attorney Barry Bernstein is expected to make his closing arguments this afternoon. The jury is expected to begin deliberating Wednesday.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at [email protected].