Reputed Ontario gang member gets 35 years for police shootout

RANCHO CUCAMONGA -- An alleged Ontario gang member who pleaded guilty to charges stemming from a 2008 shootout with police was sentenced to 35 years in state prison today in West Valley Superior Court.

Jonathan Marshall Valderrama, a 29-year-old parolee, fired about 25 rounds at police officers during the May 8, 2008 incident, said Ontario police Sgt. Keith Volm.

Volm said after this morning's court hearing that a bullet fragment grazed the left temple area of his face during the shootout, leaving an inch-long cut. Another bullet fragment struck his bulletproof vest, Volm said.

At a court appearance last month, Valderrama pleaded guilty to six counts of attempted murder as part of a plea agreement with prosecutors. He also admitted that he has served three stints in prison.

For two weeks leading up to the shootout, police conducted surveillance of Valderrama after an informant told them the recent parolee illegally possessed a gun, Volm said.

The day of the incident, Ontario police found Valderrama in Chino, and trailed him as he rode in a woman's car to Ontario, Volm said.

The car abruptly pulled over at about 9 p.m. in the area of Grove Avenue and D Street -- the driver later told police she pulled over because Valderrama tried to rob her -- and two officers from Ontario's gang unit parked behind the car and flashed their overhead lights, Volm said.

Valderrama fired several shots at the officers through the rear window of the car he was riding in, grazing Volm's head and striking his vest but failing to hit the other officer, Gabe Gutierrez, Volm said today.

Six additional police officers from multiple agencies responded to the scene and exchanged gunfire with Valderrama.

The alleged gang member emptied the initial magazine of his handgun, reloaded the gun, and threw it out of the car when it ran out of ammunition, Gutierrez said.

He then produced another handgun and fired rounds until its magazine was empty. He surrendered after he ran out of ammunition, Gutierrez said.

"He was going to shoot until he ran out of ammunition, basically," Gutierrez said in an interview this morning.

Valderrama was shot six times by police during the 90-second shootout -- once in each hand, twice in the shoulder, once in the ankle and once in the back, Gutierrez said.

He appeared healthy in court today. He repeatedly smiled at a young woman in the courtroom audience, at one point looking at her and mouthing, "I love you."

Volm said he was satisfied with Valderrama's 35-year prison sentence, saying with Valderrama in prison there's "one less person who can victimize people."

The sergeant, who had a minimal scar on the side of his head from the injury, said he didn't experience any residual trauma following the shootout.

"We had a job to do, and we did what we were trained to do," Volm said. "And our training paid off that day."