Fontana man sentenced in 2006 deadly car-to-car shooting
By Mike Cruz on December 3, 2008 5:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) |
A Fontana man was sentenced to 109 years to life in state prison Wednesday after a jury found him guilty in a shooting two years ago that left a 19-year-old woman dead.
A jury found Sergio Moreno, 22, guilty of first-degree murder in the death of Heather Marie Montoya who was traveling with two friends in a vehicle on Citrus Avenue, in Fontana, when gunshots were fired at the car in August 2006.
Moreno was also found guilty two counts of premeditated attempted murder, shooting at an occupied vehicle and gun charges, Deputy District Attorney Simon Umscheid said. The trial was held in Fontana Superior Court.
Moreno, Salvador Gonzalez Jr. and Jacque Long were in a vehicle that had pulled alongside the victims' vehicle.
The motive behind the shooting seemed petty, Deputy District Attorney Simon Umscheid said, in an earlier interview. Montoya was shot because she and a friend had previously egged one of the suspect's homes, he said.
Montoya's father and grandfather gave emotional statements during the proceedings Wednesday about the young woman's death and the defendant's resulting prison sentence.
"They were both very happy with the outcome," said Umscheid.
Defense lawyer Daniel Mangan, who represented Moreno, filed a motion for a new trial, but it was denied Wednesday.
Gonzalez and Long are scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Staff Writer Jannise Johnson contributed to this report.
people think that cutting off cars or other things like that are fine until one day they just do it to a wrong person that doesnt think before they act & cant tollerate things like that. becarefull what you do now and days.
WHO ARE WE TO JUDGE THE PEOPLE. I THINK NO ONE HAS THE RIGHT TO SPEAK FOR OTHERS BUT ONLY THE DEFENDATES REALY KNOW WHAT HAPPEN THAT DAY. AM PRETTY SURE THEY ALL REGRET WHAT HAPPEN THAT NIGHT I KNOW THAT TAKING SOME ONES LIFE AWAY IS NOT THE EASY WAY OUT,BUT ONLY GOD COULD JUDGE THEM JUST KEEP THIS 3 VICTIMS AS WELL IN PRAYERS.I THINK THEY WERE ALSO VICTIMS OF THIS DRAMA NIGHT....