In Southern California, a gang member found himself in hot water this week, years after a wild gang face-off turned deadly, resulting in a man losing his life right on the streets in broad daylight.
Richard Hernandez, aged 27, received a heavy sentence of 32 years and 8 months to life for the murder of Cameron Miller, a 25-year-old young man. Hernandez didn't put up a fight; he pled guilty in May to second-degree murder, attempting murder, trying to dodge the cops, and piling on gang-related charges.
Ventura County Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelly Keenan, the one who took on the case, couldn't emphasize enough how pointless this crime was. In a press release, Keenan spoke out, calling it a "senseless act of violence."
The justice system finally caught up with Mr. Hernandez, bringing closure to the victims' families.
The incident dates back to June 29, 2016, when Hernandez, accompanied by two buddies and a 16-year-old girl, was cruising down East Main Street in Ventura. Out of nowhere, they decided to have words with two other men. The argument escalated, not once, not twice, but thrice!
The first brawl went down near a Del Taco joint. The second round happened at the Lassens store parking lot. And, believe it or not, the final showdown went down in a parking lot close to a Sizzler.
As tensions escalated, the gang members started shouting out their gang names, and Hernandez even pulled out a handgun. Fearing for their lives, they hopped back into their ride and drove off. But they didn't go far.
Hernandez and his partner-in-crime Ramirez waited around the corner, and when the victims walked by, they let loose a hail of bullets. Tragically, Miller got hit three times and didn't make it. The other victim, whose name wasn't disclosed, got hit once but survived.
After the attack, witnesses gave the police a lead on the getaway car, and officers tried to pull them over, but instead, it turned into a high-speed chase. The vehicle zoomed at over 100 mph before crashing into a fence and tree.
Hernandez, behind the wheel, made a run for it, leaving the rest injured at the crash scene. They were rushed to the hospital before getting slapped with cuffs.
Hernandez's adventure didn't end there; he was later found hiding in an orchard close to the crash spot. But before getting booked into jail, he had to make a pit stop at the hospital.
As for Alexis Ivan Ramirez, he confessed to voluntary manslaughter, attempting murder, and gang-related charges.
He's looking at sentencing on October 12.
The third man involved got a 17-year sentence back in 2019 for pleading guilty to voluntary manslaughter and attempted murder, with a side of gang-related enhancements. The girl's case? Well, that got settled in juvenile court.
In another news, a guy on the run from the law for child sex abuse charges took his own life on Friday after he shot two federal marshals who were trying to arrest him at a hotel in South Carolina. See detailed story here.
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