The San Diego Superior Court sentenced Moises Correa to a 53-year-to-life prison sentence for intentionally striking San Diego motorcycle officer Christopher Pate with his vehicle, leaving the officer with likely permanent nerve damage in his leg. According to the San Diego Union-Tribune, the incident, which occurred on July 8, 2021, when Correa reversed his car into Pate during an attempted traffic stop, was an intentional act.
Additionally, Correa was convicted of two robbery counts for holding up a gas station and a 99 Cents store in the Mira Mesa area just a few days prior to the incident with Officer Pate as reported by the Times of San Diego. Due to Correa's convictions, he was subjected to California's three-strikes law, adding a 25-year-to-life term to his sentence.
Correa's criminal history dates back to his teenage years when, at just 17 years old, he was convicted of attempted murder in an Arizona shooting. Being tried as an adult, he was sentenced to over 10 years in prison for the crime. Following his release from prison, Correa was convicted of domestic violence and assault in two separate crimes in San Diego County.
In the events leading up to the assault on Officer Pate, Deputy District Attorney Kelsey Hollander reported that Pate witnessed Correa speeding near the intersection of Black Mountain Road and Westview Parkway, prompting the attempted traffic stop as NBC San Diego reported in 2021. After initially fleeing the scene, Correa pulled his vehicle to a stop in a traffic lane and accelerated in reverse, intentionally crashing into Pate's motorcycle. Correa then fled the scene once more but was arrested the following day at a Mira Mesa home after a standoff with police.
Officer Pate, who was unaware of the robberies when trying to pull Correa over, claims that had Correa simply complied with the traffic stop and handed him a driver's license, he likely would have issued a ticket and let the situation resolve peacefully. Instead, Correa's choice led to a potentially life-changing injury for Officer Pate and a lengthy prison sentence for Correa himself.
