On July 20, 2009, the Honorable Judge Kathryn Montejano sentenced two Tulare gang members, Armand Torres (19) and Heriberto Botello (19), to life in prison for a gang-related kidnapping for robbery. Both men were also armed with firearms at the time of the crime. Botello was also separately found guilty of making a criminal threat to the victim as well. As a result, Botello was sentenced to the maximum sentence allowed by law of 25 years to life in state prison. Torres was sentenced to 17 years to life in state prison for his role in the crime.

On May 19, 2007 around 4:00 a.m., two out-of-town gang members, unfamiliar with the city of Tulare walked down a poorly lit alley in the area of West Tulare Avenue and E Street. Upon reaching the end of the alley, the defendants Torres and Botello left a well known Norteno gang house and confronted the two victims, asking them where they were from and whether they “banged”. The victims identified themselves as members of a rival gang. Upon hearing this, Torres and Botello both pulled out concealed guns and pointed them at the victim. During the confrontation, the other victim was able to escape. He later contacted the Tulare Police Department. The defendant Botello held the victim at gunpoint and forced him into the backseat of a waiting vehicle. Once inside the vehicle, the defendant Torres instructed the driver, Adrian Vasquez, to look for the escaped gang rival. Unable to find the escapee, Torres and Botello ordered the driver to drive all of them out into the Tulare County countryside. Once three miles outside of the city, the defendants violently threatened, assaulted, and robbed the victim at gunpoint. After removing his personal property, the victim was forced out of the vehicle and left on the side of the road.

Adrian Vasquez, the driver of the vehicle, is facing 10 years in state prison and is pending sentencing currently set for August 11, 2009.

The case was investigated by the Tulare Police Department, Detectives James Kelly and Rose Denny, with the assistance of Investigator Keith Smith of the Tulare County District Attorney Bureau of Investigations.

Contact Person: Assistant District Attorney Shani Jenkins: (559) 733-6411.