Manuel Guerrero, Martin Guerrero, and Jose Gurrisquieta all from Visalia were sentenced today for a gang related shooting that occurred on September 6, 2006 in the area of Road 156 and Mineral King just outside of Visalia. The defendants stopped the car they were driving and put up the hood so it would appear there was some mechanical problem with the car. Two people in a pickup truck drove up and were approached by one of the defendants. Once the driver saw the shotgun he attempted to escape but a shot rang out killing his passenger. The driver drove straight to Kaweah Delta Hospital where the passenger was pronounced dead on arrival.

Manuel Guerrero, 20, pled no contest to a felony violation of Penal Code section 192(a) voluntary manslaughter, Penal Code section 664/187(a), attempted murder and Penal Code section 664/211, attempted robbery. He also admitted to special allegations regarding the personal use of a firearm and that the crime was done for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

Jose Gurrisquieta, 17, pled no contest to a felony violation of Penal Code section 192(a) voluntary manslaughter. He also admitted to the special allegation that the crime was done for the benefit of a criminal street gang.

Martin Guerrero, 19, pled no contest to a felony violation of Penal Code section 192(a) voluntary manslaughter. He also admitted to the special allegation that a principal was armed with a weapon.

Judge Gerald Sevier sentenced Manuel Guerrero to serve forty seven years and four months in state prison for his crimes. Jose Gurrisquieta was sentenced to serve twenty one years in prison for his crimes. And Martin Guerrero was sentenced to serve seven years in prison for his crimes. All three will also have to pay restitution fines and restitution to the victims. They will all have to provide samples of their blood, saliva, and thumb and palm prints pursuant to Penal Code section 296, and Manuel Guerrero and Jose Gurrisquieta will have to register as active participants in a criminal street gang. All the pleas will count as “strikes” under California law, and in the future, if any one of them commit any other felony, their sentence could be doubled or in Manuel Guerrero’s case be a minimum of twenty five years to life. All three will have to serve eighty five percent of their sentence before being paroled.

The case was prosecuted by Supervising Attorney Ralph Kaelble of the District Attorney’s Office and investigated by Detective Martin King of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Department.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney William Yoshimoto, 733-6411.