An Ontario, Oregon man has been handed a 15-year sentence in federal prison for a series of carjackings he committed at gunpoint. Gregory Escobedo, Jr., 31, received his sentence on Friday, after pleading guilty to two counts of carjacking last year.
Escobedo's time in federal lockup will tack on after he serves a term in state prison. The federal prison time is set to run concurrent with a 180-to-360-month sentence he already faces in Idaho for related charges, effectively piecing together a lengthy stint behind bars for the spree of crimes.
The crimes in question occurred over two days in March 2021, when Escobedo engaged in a string of violent thefts. According to a statement from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Oregon, Escobedo first forced a victim from their vehicle at an apartment complex in Ontario, taking their car. The next victim was threatened on the side of the road, but Escobedo fled when he discovered the vehicle was out of gas.
His crime wave continued into Caldwell, Idaho, where Escobedo stole an unattended truck at a gas station. After being chased by the vehicle's owner, Escobedo shot the unarmed man in the chest, who fortunately survived the ordeal. Law enforcement apprehended Escobedo shortly after the shooting.
Escobedo's plea in July 2024 came as a part of an agreement that followed a federal indictment by a grand jury which charged him on five counts, including possessing a firearm during a crime of violence and as a convicted felon. His guilty plea was specifically to two counts of carjacking. Post-release, he will be under a three-year term of federal supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives led the investigation that brought Escobedo to justice, with Assistant U.S. Attorney Judith Harper heading the prosecution.
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