On May 11, 2007, Tulare County Superior Court Judge Ronn Couillard imposed a 20 year prison sentence on 31 year old Juan Sacramento Urive of Earlimart. The defendant plead guilty to two felony counts relating to a 2004 attack on a deputy sheriff in Earlimart. On March 11, 2004 the defendant was contacted during a routine traffic stop. The deputy searched the defendant and found him to be in possession of drug paraphernalia. As the deputy attempted to place the defendant under arrest for this misdemeanor offense, the defendant ran away from the deputy.

The deputy chased the defendant into a dark area where the defendant assaulted him. They struggled and fell to the ground, at which time the defendant began a vicious attack. He hit the deputy in the head repeatedly with a rock, causing two black eyes, bruising, scratches, scrapes, and crushing the cartilage in his nose. The defendant bit off a piece of the deputy’s ear that could not be reattached. The defendant tried to take the deputy’s gun out of his hand, and managed to point the gun at the deputy and shoot him one time. The deputy managed to shoot the defendant once in the leg before he got away. When other deputies found the victim, he was almost unconscious. The defendant was captured a few days later.
Urive plead no contest to one count of assault with a firearm on a peace officer with special allegations for the personal use of a firearm, having served a prior prison term, and infliction of great bodily injury, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon with a special allegation for the infliction of great bodily injury. Both are violent felonies so his credits are limited to 15%, and both are strikes so he will be subject to the “Three Strikes” law if he commits another felony. He was also ordered to pay a $4,000 restitution fine.

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Ralph Kaelble, and investigated by the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department Violent Crimes Unit.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney, Carol Turner, (559)733-6411.