On Friday March 17, 2006, twenty-two year old criminal street gang member Jerome Torres of Visalia was sentenced for the gang-related witness intimidation of a victim of multiple drive-by shootings. The Court sentenced Torres, who had no prior felony convictions, to seven years in state prison.

Torres seized an opportunity to intimidate the victim of the Tulare shootings that occurred on August 28, 2005 from testifying against his cousin, the alleged shooter and fellow gang member. This occurred on October 17, 2005 while defendant was at the Visalia courthouse for jury duty. As the shooting victim waited in the hallway to testify, Torres left the courtroom and sat directly across from him. Defendant started “mad-dogging” the shooting victim (a gang expression for staring down someone in a rude and intimidating manner meant to threaten). Torres called the shooting victim a derogatory gang term. He then made reference to the pending testimony, telling the shooting victim that if he testified “you ain’t going to be talking for long.”

The shooting victim immediately reported the incident to the Tulare Police Department officers who quickly arrested Torres after he had returned to the courtroom. Evidence presented to the jury included information regarding the gang intimidation, the gang shootings, as well as Torres’ and his cousin’s gang affiliation and the role that witness intimidation plays in the gang subculture. After hearing the evidence, the jury found Torres guilty of gang witness intimidation and criminal threats. The trial for defendant’s cousin is still pending.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Samantha Arnerich of the Gang Prosecution Unit with assistance by Corporal Brian Haney and Detective Ed Hinojosa, both from the Tulare Police Department.

Contact person: Carol Turner, Assistant District Attorney 733-6411