Windsor Armored Car Shooter Gets Life In Prison

SONOMA COUNTY, CA — A Lake County man was sentenced today to six years plus 32 years to life in prison for his role in the robbery and shooting of an armored car guard in Windsor and an assault of a police officer in Calistoga in 2016. Ivan Morales, 25, was sentenced for the premeditated attempted murder of a Loomis armored car guard outside a Chase bank in Windsor, robbery with personal use of a weapon, assault with personal use of a weapon, assault on a peace officer and vehicle theft.

His co-defendant Sergey Gutsu, 25, of Antioch, pleaded no contest during his trial to the attempted murder of a peace officer, robbery, assault, shooting at an occupied vehicle and vehicle theft. He was sentenced to 51 years to life in prison.

The defendants drove to Windsor in a Suzuki that they carjacked in Sacramento and pulled behind the Loomis truck when the guard got out with a moneybag on July 12, 2016.

Three of the five rounds Morales fired from an AK-47 struck the guard, identified only as "Glen" in court. He was not present at the sentencing.

Morales and Gutsu fled with $30,000 in a Chevrolet Suburban to Calistoga where Calistoga police Officer Luis Paniagua collided his patrol car with the Chevrolet. Gutsu got out of the Chevrolet and shot at Paniagua.

He was arrested at the scene, and Morales was found later hiding in a culvert before his arrest.

Morales and Gutsu were tried simultaneously by separate juries in Sonoma County Superior Court.

Morales' attorney Emma Dewald asked Judge Patrick Broderick this afternoon to sentence Morales to seven years to life in prison. She said he had a limited prior record compared to Gutsu's record of homicide and robbery convictions.

Deputy District Attorney Chris Brown asked for the six-years plus 32 years to life sentence, and Broderick agreed.

"You were well aware of the power of this weapon and what it could do," Broderick said. "Both of you systematically came up with a plan. I can't say you were the leader. You both planned it with military precision," Broderick said.

The judge noted Morales' past capacity for good as a young hard-working student who had a difficult childhood. He said Morales, however made the wrong choices, and the words in court by a witness to the shooting outside the bank were chilling.

"The witness said, 'They didn't need to do that, he was going to give them the money. He was already compliant. They shot that dude in cold blood,'" Broderick said.

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By Bay City News Service

Photo via Sonoma County Sheriff's jail website