A Sacramento jury has convicted 39-year-old Jose R. Borrego on 19 criminal counts stemming from a violent April 2022 rampage that began with gunfire into occupied vehicles in south Sacramento and ended with him ambushing police officers during a pursuit, firing 16 shots before leading authorities on a manhunt that stretched into Folsom. The verdict, delivered Monday, includes four counts of attempted premeditated murder of a police officer, three counts of attempted murder, three counts of assault with a firearm, three counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle, four counts of assault with a firearm on a police officer, reckless evading, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney Emilee Divinagracia of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case, identified in court records as case #22FE006184, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. Jurors also found true special allegations that Borrego personally used and discharged a firearm and caused great bodily injury, enhancements that can significantly extend his eventual prison term under California sentencing law, per the same office. The Sacramento Bee reported that prosecutors say Borrego faces a maximum possible sentence of 192 years and four months to life in prison.
A Shooting Spree Before Dawn
The violence began around 2:30 a.m. on April 14, 2022, near 65th Street and Jansen Drive, where Borrego fired into three occupied vehicles and wounded an off-duty probation officer in the right shoulder, according to the district attorney's account. The Sacramento Police Department received reports that day of a man in a silver Nissan shooting into occupied vehicles on 65th Street in south Sacramento, and investigators later collected 18 shell casings from the scene. Forensic testing eventually matched shell casings from that earlier shooting to Borrego's gun, tying the morning attack to what would unfold later that evening.
Police initially arrested Borrego in connection with the evening confrontation with officers before linking the forensic evidence back to the early-morning shooting, according to CBS News. That early shooting set the stage for a second, far more dangerous encounter hours later when Borrego crossed paths with Sacramento police officers on patrol.
An Ambush During a Traffic Stop
About 6:40 p.m. that same day, four officers assigned to the Sacramento Police Department's East Gang Enforcement Team spotted Borrego driving a silver Nissan through a red light at Stockton and 14th Avenue, the station's report indicates. The officers attempted a stop near 44th Street and 14th Avenue, and Borrego initially pulled over before leading them on a pursuit, driving at speeds exceeding 50 mph through a residential neighborhood and running several stop signs.
During that pursuit, Borrego ambushed the officers, firing a handgun at them 16 times, according to prosecutors. Gunfire struck the patrol vehicle at least five times, and one officer suffered minor facial injuries while another returned fire during the exchange. Borrego then drove away, fleeing north and then east on Highway 50 as Sacramento police and other local agencies began searching for him across the region.
Helicopters, Drones and a Folsom Manhunt
The regional manhunt mobilized officers and specialized gear from the Sacramento Police Department, the Folsom Police Department, the Sacramento County Sheriff's Office, which deployed a helicopter, and the California Highway Patrol, according to OFFICER Magazine. The search also relied on a sheriff's helicopter, aerial drones and armored vehicles as investigators tracked Borrego's movements.
Police eventually found Borrego's car abandoned in Folsom. He had reportedly attempted to change his appearance after ditching the Nissan and gave officers a false name when confronted. Officers arrested him near the Natoma Light Rail Station in Folsom after he refused police orders and was ultimately detained by a police K-9, per CBS News. At the time of his arrest, Borrego possessed a handgun and ammunition; officers found a handgun loaded with an extended ammunition magazine, along with an empty extended magazine, inside his satchel.
Statutory Stakes and What Comes Next
Under California Penal Code Section 664/187, attempted premeditated murder committed against an on-duty peace officer carries a mandatory sentence of life in prison with parole eligibility beginning after a minimum of 15 years served, according to Huff Legal. Those statutory minimums apply before any additional court-ordered enhancements for firearm use are factored in, which helps explain the potential scale of Borrego's sentence.
Borrego remains in custody at the Rio Cosumnes Correctional Center near Elk Grove and is scheduled to be sentenced on November 6 in Sacramento County Superior Court. The shooting also triggered independent oversight from the Sacramento Office of Public Safety Accountability. Police released video related to the case.
The case lands amid a broader national conversation about violence against officers. FBI Uniform Crime Reporting statistics show agencies reported 79,091 officers assaulted nationwide in 2023, the highest officer assault rate in the past 10 years, with approximately 466 officers assaulted and injured by firearms that year, according to the FBI.
