Kristian Fonseca convicted of two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder
VENTURA COUNTY, Calif. (KEYT) – Kristian Fonseca of Oxnard was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in connection with the 2020 shooting deaths of Jose Estrada and Daniel Zuniga.
Fonseca was also convicted of two counts of attempted murder and one count of being in possession of a firearm less than ten years after a conviction noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office in a press release Friday.
He is currently scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2026, where he faces a mandatory life sentence without the possibility of parole added the local prosecutor's office.
The convictions this week are connected to two separate shootings in 2019 and 2020.
In October of 2019, Fonseca was driving with two friends along Ventura Avenue when they stopped at a liquor store on East Simpson Street after spotting two men standing near a food truck detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
One of the men standing near the food truck was asked, "Where are you from?" before Fonseca opened fire with a shotgun stated the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, one of the men was hit multiple times and he suffered life-threatening injuries that required emergency surgery and resulted in long-term medical complications.
Neither of the men who were shot at were gang members shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Surveillance video captured some of the shooting and four spent shotgun shells were recovered from the scene noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
On Oct. 24, the following year, Fonseca was at a front yard gathering in Santa Paula when three rival gang members approached from down the street detailed the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
The trio had been involved in escalating verbal confrontations earlier in the day and the interactions turned violent when one of the three and Fonseca fought in the street explained the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
After the fight, Fonseca retrieved a gun and opened fire on the group, hitting and killing Jose Estrada and Daniel Zuniga shared the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
According to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office, evidence showed that Fonseca continued to fire at close range after the victims has fallen, including while one of the men pleaded for his life.
Estrada was declared dead at the scene and Zuniga was transported in critical condition before later dying from his injuries at a local hospital after being on life support for two weeks.
A third man, Rafael Hernandez, was hit by the gunfire but survived the encounter added the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Officers recovered ten 9mm shell casings from the scene, most near the places where Estrada and Zuniga had fallen, but the gun used during the shooting was never recovered noted the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
Fonseca was arrested three days later on a warrant connected to the first shooting.
"Justice in this case took time, but the victims' families never lost faith in the process," shared Senior Deputy District Attorney Blake Heller, who prosecuted the case. "They showed tremendous patience and strength in the face of unimaginable loss. We are grateful to the jury for their careful attention to the evidence and their service. Today's verdict ensures the defendant will never again be a danger to society."
