On February 9, 2010, Ronnie Zuniga and Richard Larios, both 21 years old and from Tulare, were found guilty by a Tulare County jury of three counts of attempted murder with premeditation and deliberation, gun, and gang enhancements, as well as a single count of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle that also included gun and gang enhancements. The trial was presided over by the Honorable Judge Gary Paden.

On October 20, 2008, the three victims arrived at the AM/PM convenience store located on Bardsley in the City of Tulare to get some gas. One of the victims, who is a southern-affiliated gang member, went inside the store to pay for the gas while another victim, also a gang member, stayed at the car to pump the gas. The female victim stayed seated in the front passenger seat of the car.

At about the same time, defendants Richard Larios and Ronnie Zuniga, who were both northern gang members, arrived at the store also to get gas. Zuniga went inside to pay while Larios stayed at the pumps. During this time, some gang slurs were exchanged between defendant Zuniga and one of the victims. Afterwards, the defendants continually stared at the victims until the victims left the store. The exchange between the victims and defendants was caught on the store surveillance tape.

The defendants followed the victims’ vehicle and when the victims stopped at a stop sign, the defendants drove around the left side of the victims’ vehicle and fired five shots into it nearly hitting the victims. Shortly after the shooting, the victims’ vehicle was stopped by Tulare Police Officers and the victims provided information as to the shooting. Eventually, the victims identified the defendants as being the perpetrators.

The vehicle used in the shooting by defendants was registered to Defendant Larios and was eventually found burned in an alley a few days after the shooting. Defendants Larios and Zuniga were found a month after the shooting hiding out at a known gang hangout.

The defendants will be sentenced on March 9, 2010, with a likely prison term of 45 years to life for each.

The case was investigated by Detective Jesus Guzman of the Tulare Police Department and Tony Benitez of the Tulare County District Attorney’s Investigations Unit. The case was prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Rick Tripp of the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.

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