Shooter Sentenced In Lake Elsinore I-15 Road Rage

LAKE ELSINORE, CA — A Homeland man who shot at a 19-year-old motorist and his passenger in a road rage attack on Interstate 15 in Lake Elsinore was bound for state prison Thursday to serve a 10-year sentence after pleading guilty to gun assault.

Jose Luis Magdaleno, 63, reached a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney's Office Wednesday, admitting the felony charge, as well as a sentence-enhancing allegation of using firearm during the commission of a felony. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped five related counts against Magdaleno.

During a hearing at the Southwest Justice Center in Murrieta, Superior Court Judge Jeff Zimel certified the terms of the plea bargain and signed the order committing the defendant to the term of imprisonment specified in negotiations.

Magdaleno's relative, 54-year-old Leticia Magdaleno, pleaded guilty last year to being an accessory to a felony and was sentenced to 12 months' probation.

According to California Highway Patrol Officer Mike Lassig, on the afternoon of Jan. 15, 2022, the victims, whose identities were not released, were driving in a Ford Ranger pickup heading southbound on I-15, just south of Diamond Drive, when the man, who was at the wheel, noticed a 2001 black Chevrolet Tahoe SUV edging parallel to him at freeway speed.

"The victim observed the right front passenger (Jose Magdaleno) point a handgun directly at them from the Tahoe's open right front passenger side window," Lassig said. "Multiple flashes were observed coming from the suspect's handgun as rounds struck the Ford Ranger."

Neither the motorist or his female passenger was hit. The young man immediately pulled to the shoulder of the freeway and called 911, according to Lassig.

He said the SUV sped away southbound. It was never established why Magdaleno was angry and targeted the victims.

In the ensuing week, CHP investigators developed leads identifying the defendants' SUV, culminating in search warrants being procured and served at their residence on Terand Avenue, near Naumann Avenue, according to Lassig.

"Investigators located and seized multiple weapons at the Homeland address, which consisted of handguns, rifles, shotguns, ammunition and high- capacity magazines," the CHP spokesman said.

Neither Jose nor Leticia Magdaleno had documented prior felony or misdemeanor convictions in Riverside County.