Salinas Man Sentenced to 10 Years For Shooting At Victims In Car

MONTEREY COUNTY, CA — A Salinas man has been sentenced to 10 years in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation for shooting at two victims in a vehicle earlier this year, Monterey County District Attorney's officials said Wednesday. According to prosecutors, 36-year-old Roberto Bravo pleaded no contest on Oct. 4 to attempted murder and assault with a semiautomatic firearm and also admitted enhancements for personally using a firearm during the crimes. His conviction represents a second strike under California's Three Strikes Law.

On the night of April 15, Bravo tried to burglarize a victim's construction truck that was parked outside their home for the second time. A few weeks earlier, a neighbor's surveillance camera captured Bravo stealing
tools from the same truck, prosecutors said. During the April 15 burglary, one of the victim's relatives
witnessed what Bravo was doing. Startled, Bravo got into his own vehicle and fled the scene.

Two members of the victim's family, a father and son, got into their vehicle and followed Bravo. They called police as they pursued him, hoping they would apprehend him and retrieve the stolen property.
According to prosecutors, during the pursuit, Bravo pulled over, exited his car and fired multiple shots at the victims' vehicle while they were inside. Although three bullets struck their vehicle, the victims were
not struck or injured.

Salinas police later located Bravo and his home and he admitted to shooting at the victims. He then led police to his backyard where he buried the gun, prosecutors said. Bravo was prohibited from owning or possessing firearms at the time because of prior convictions for misdemeanor domestic violence, prosecutors said.

By Bay City News

Photo via Shutterstock