A man who opened fire on Benicia police officers during a traffic stop and was separately convicted of murdering another man in Oakland has been sentenced to 146 years to life in state prison. David Magana's crimes, according to police, stretched across multiple Bay Area cities before his capture in the median of Interstate 780 in March 2024.
The sentencing date given in the reporting is not entirely consistent: Local News Matters reports Magana was sentenced on Friday, Nov. 6, while CBS News places the sentencing on Nov. 10. Either way, a Solano County judge handed down the 146-years-to-life term this month, closing out a case that began with a roadside gunfight and ended with a jury verdict on seven felony counts.
A Traffic Stop That Turned Into a Freeway Shootout
The case traces back to March 15, 2024, when officers pulled over a vehicle associated with an armed robbery, according to police. During that stop, officers were fired upon, and after the vehicle crashed at the bottom of the Military West off-ramp, Magana ran toward the center of the freeway while firing multiple additional shots at officers, per the same account from Local News Matters.
Magana was eventually found hiding in the median and taken into custody, and police later located a firearm buried under brush nearby, the outlet reported. Benicia police said Magana's crimes extended across multiple Bay Area cities, and the trial drew testimony from eight different agencies, according to the report.
Murder Conviction Tied to an Oakland Drug Deal
Separate from the freeway confrontation, Magana was also convicted in the killing of Christian Alejandro Romero Martinez. Prosecutors alleged the killing happened during what they contended was a fentanyl-related drug transaction in Oakland on March 10, 2024, according to The Reporter.
In June 2026, a Solano County jury found David Ochoa Magana guilty of second-degree murder, robbery, attempted murder of a peace officer, personal use of a firearm and being a felon in possession of a firearm, the Reporter noted. The verdict effectively tied together the Oakland killing and the Benicia-area shootout into a single criminal case spanning two counties.
Sentence Covers Murder, Attempted Cop Killing and More
At sentencing, Magana was ordered to serve 146 years to life for a slate of offenses that included second-degree murder, attempted murder of a police officer, armed robbery, shooting at a vehicle, felony evading of an officer, and firearm- and ammunition-possession charges, per Local News Matters. The final tally reflects convictions on seven counts stemming from both the Oakland homicide and the Interstate 780 confrontation.
The scope of the case, requiring testimony from eight separate agencies, underscores how investigators had to piece together evidence from a drug-deal killing in Oakland and a high-speed pursuit and shootout near Benicia to build the prosecution. With sentencing now complete, Magana faces the remainder of his life behind bars under the 146-years-to-life term imposed by the Solano County court.
