A Santa Paula man has been sentenced to 25 years to life behind bars for the attempted murder of his neighbor following a seemingly innocuous verbal spat turned violent. Richard Steven Valencia, 45, will now face the consequences of his actions – the near-fatal shooting that left a man paralyzed from the neck down, reported KTLA.
The altercation occurred on October 9, 2020, starting as an argument outside their apartment complex and escalating when Valencia later confronted his neighbor on the street. Armed and dangerous, during the heated exchange, he pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the face, and neck. Valencia then made a quick escape from the crime scene, but not before being caught on surveillance footage, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
After two days on the run, Valencia got nabbed by the Santa Paula police. On March 26, Valencia pleaded guilty to four felony counts including attempted murder, assault with a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Valencia's criminal history, dotted with prior strike offenses, and his association with local gangs weighed heavy on the scales of justice, details Ventura County District Attorney.
"The crime was senseless, and had a tragic outcome," Deputy District Attorney Sean Alexander reflected. "Fortunately, he will no longer be able to victimize members of our community," Sean Alexander noted in a damning testament to Valencia's violent streak. Meanwhile, the unnamed victim's life has been irreversibly altered.
