A man who shot at a Santa Ana truck driver on the 91 is heading to prison for only five years

ORANGE COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY NEWS RELEASE

Case # 14NF3221

Date: July 21, 2017

MAN SENTENCED TO FIVE YEARS IN PRISON FOR DRIVE-BY SHOOTING ON 91 FREEWAY

SANTA ANA – A man was sentenced today to five years in state prison for shooting at a man in another car on the 91 Freeway.

Defendant: Jerry Valentin, 35, Scottsdale, Arizona

Pleaded guilty on April 12, 2017, to:

• One felony count assault with a deadly weapon other than a firearm
• Sentencing enhancement for personal use of a firearm

Sentence:

• Five years in state prison

Circumstances of the Case

• At approximately 4:20 p.m. on Aug. 4, 2014, Valentin drove eastbound on the 91 Freeway near the Interstate 5 interchange in Fullerton.
• The defendant swerved his vehicle toward a sports utility vehicle (SUV) being driven by Kenneth Baker, a truck driver from Santa Ana and a former reserve police officer.
• Valentin drove alongside the SUV and using a handgun, loaded with shotgun rounds, to fire at least one round at the driver’s side of the Baker’s SUV.
• Valentin hit Baker in the arm and torso as a result of the pellets fired from the shotgun round.
• The defendant discarded the gun on the freeway and drove away from the scene.
• The victim called 911 and continued to follow the defendant’s vehicle.
• At approximately 4:45 p.m. the California Highway Patrol (CHP) stopped a vehicle matching the description of the defendant’s vehicle on the eastbound 91 Freeway near the 241 toll road interchange.
• The Fullerton Police Department arrested the defendant and investigated this case.

Prosecutor: Deputy District Attorney Susan Laird, Special Prosecutions Unit

TONY RACKAUCKAS, District Attorney

Susan Kang Schroeder, Chief of Staff
Office: 714-347-8408
Cell: 714-292-2718

Michelle Van Der Linden,Spokesperson
Office: 714-347-8405
Cell: 714-323-4486

Art Pedroza Editor

Our Editor, Art Pedroza, worked at the O.C. Register and the OC Weekly and studied journalism at CSUF and UCI. He has lived in Santa Ana for over 30 years and has served on several city and county commissions. When he is not writing or editing Pedroza specializes in risk control and occupational safety. He also teaches part time at Cerritos College and CSUF. Pedroza has an MBA from Keller University.

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