On Wednesday, January 27, 2010, twenty-four year old Brian Joaquin Alvarado of Tulare, California was sentenced to twenty years in state prison for his participation in an ambush-style robbery and assault committed against the victim who suffered multiple facial fractures during the commission of the crime. He was sentenced by the Honorable Judge Gary Paden.

On June 6, 2009, the victim walked into an apartment complex in the city of Tulare. As the victim entered the breezeway of the complex, two individuals, one of which was later determined to be Alvarado, jumped out from behind a set of bushes and violently assaulted and robbed the victim resulting in fractures to his face bones and nose. The victim was never able to identify his assailants, who immediately fled the scene.

Within minutes of the assault and robbery taking place, Tulare Police Department Officer Derogee observed a vehicle occupied by four passengers driving down Tulare Avenue, two blocks from the location of the robbery. The officer noted the smell of marijuana coming from the vehicle and made a traffic stop to investigate. Two of the passengers immediately fled from the vehicle, and upon removing the remaining two, Alvarado was discovered in the vehicle with a black bandana formed in a triangle around his neck, blood on his clothing and fists, as well as the victim’s wallet in one pocket and bloodied money in the other pocket. Alvarado was placed under arrest, his clothes and the money being sent to the Department of Justice for DNA analysis. The DNA testing revealed that the profile of the blood found on Alvarado’s clothing and the money matched that of the victim.

After the completion of a weeklong jury trial in the beginning of October 2009, a Tulare County jury found Alvarado guilty on all counts, which included robbery, assault, and great bodily injury personally inflicted by Alvarado. The court also found true that the defendant suffered a prior strike conviction for criminal threats in furtherance of a criminal street gang. Because of Alvarado’s criminal history and the violent nature of the current offense, he was sentenced to the aggravated term of 20 years. .

This case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Wesley Meyer with assistance by District Attorney Investigator Lindy Gligorijevic, Tulare Police Department Detective James Haney, Tulare Police Department patrol division and Kiffin Nelson of the Department of Justice.

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