Man Sentenced To 23 Years In Napa Road Rage Shooting: DA

NAPA COUNTY, CA — A Vallejo man was sentenced to 23 years in California state prison for convictions that stem from a road rage shooting in January 2021 on Devlin Road in Napa County, Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley announced Tuesday.

Frank Devante Stephenson, 28, pleaded no contest Jan. 11 to attempted murder and assault with a firearm. As part of the resolution in this case, Stephenson also admitted special allegations that during the commission of the attempted murder, he inflicted great bodily injury upon the victim and intentionally discharged a firearm, Haley's office said.

Stephenson was sentenced Feb. 8 by Napa County Superior Court Judge Monique Langhorne.

According to prosecutors, Stephenson was speeding home from work the evening of Jan. 21, 2021, when he came across the 58-year-old victim who was driving in the same direction in a truck. Stephenson aggressively tailgated the victim, then drove up alongside him, shot into the victim’s truck with a handgun, and hit him in the abdomen.

As Stephenson sped away from the scene, two civilians stopped when they saw the victim in distress on the side of the road. They rendered aid and summoned help.

The victim underwent emergency surgery and survived. The victim did not know or recognize the shooter.

Two weeks later, on Feb. 4, 2021, Stephenson pointed a handgun at a second victim, prosecutors said. During that incident, Stephenson engaged in road rage on state Highway 29, south of Green Island Road. The victim was driving a semi-truck when Stephenson cut him off. Stephenson then slowed down and when the victim drove up next to him in the adjacent lane, he pulled out a gun and pointed it directly at the truck driver. It appeared Stephenson tried to shoot but was unsuccessful. The truck driver obtained the license plate of the vehicle before Stephenson got away.

Stephenson was identified by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and two weeks later, was tracked down at his workplace in Napa. He had a stolen firearm in his car, which was later forensically linked to the shooting, prosecutors said.

An investigation by Napa County sheriff's Sgt. Paul Kuhn established Stephenson was responsible for both incidents. Stephenson was arrested in August 2021.

"This case required extraordinary efforts by the Napa County Sheriff’s Office to identify and link the defendant to these horrendous crimes," said Napa County Chief Deputy District Attorney Taryn Hunter, who prosecuted the case. "While there may be many witnesses to crimes that occur on public highways and roads, they can be challenging to track down and ultimately difficult to secure justice. Here, the selfless witnesses who stopped and assisted the victims played an immeasurable role in saving lives and securing the ultimate detection of the defendant."