Three gang members sentenced for 2019 Oceano shooting death of Daniel Fuentes
SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY, Calif. – Three gang members were sentenced to state prison for shooting and killing Arroyo Grande resident Daniel Fuentes in April 2019, the San Luis Obispo County District Attorney's Office announced on Wednesday.
Robert Garay, 30, Gabriel Garay, 23, and Nathaniel Jara, 24, shot 41-year-old Fuentes while he was riding his bike in Oceano on April 2, 2019, according to District Attorney Dan Dow. All three men got out of their car when they saw Fuentes, and Robert Garay fired at the victim, hitting him twice in the back and killing him, Dow said.
The defendants plead guilty to the crimes in February, and were sentenced on Wednesday.
Robert Garay was convicted by his guilty plea to second-degree murder and active participation in a criminal street gang, according to Dow.
Gabriel Garay was convicted by his guilty plea for voluntary manslaughter and active participation in a criminal street gang, Dow said. Gabriel Garay was sentenced to 13 years and four months in state prison.
Jara was convicted by his guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter and active participation in a criminal street gang.
Robert Garay was sentenced to 30 years to life in state prison, and Gabriel Garay and Jara were each sentenced to 13 years and 4 months in state prison.
All three men also had been previously convicted of crimes that count as "strikes" under California's Three Strikes sentencing law, which gave them additional sentencing time.
“The people of San Luis Obispo County and all of California deserve full enforcement of our laws to hold violent criminals fully accountable and to keep our communities as safe as possible,” said Dow. “That means, in San Luis Obispo County we do not decline to file criminal enhancements when the evidence supports them like some other California elected prosecutors.”
Robert Garay was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 2010, Gabriel Garay was convicted of assault by force likely to cause great bodily injury in 2015, and Jara was convicted of sale of a controlled substance for the benefit of a criminal street gang in 2018.
