Israel Lamadrid Zubiate, a 30-year-old felon has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to more than 10 years in prison for attacking innocent people at a shopping center in Santa Ana, according to court records.
Zubiate started his hammer attack at around 7:20 p.m. on Nov. 27, 2022, targeting people he did not know, near a Smart & Final store at the Bristol Marketplace at 1523 W. 17th St., according to the SAPD.
Zubiate pleaded guilty on Wednesday, Oct. 2 to felony charges including two counts of attempted murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, and he also admitted a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a deadly weapon.
Orange County Superior Court Judge Larry Yellin, inexplicably made a sweetheart plea offer to Zubiate. Zubiate was originally charged back in November 2022 with attempted premeditated murder, which would have carried a life sentence if he had been convicted at trial.
Yellin ended up sentencing Zubiate to 10 years and four months in prison. Zubiate was also given credit for 778 days behind bars. That is about two years so he will serve just over eight additional years.
The prosecutors did not like the plea deal and also objected to Yellin using his discretion to strike prior crimes for the sentencing, according to court records.
Zubiate pleaded guilty to a previous felony back in January, 2020, when he was charged with a felony count of kidnapping and a misdemeanor count of battery.
Zubiate has also been involved in a child support court case.
The prosecutors were right – Zubiate should have gone to prison for life. He will surely start committing crimes again when he gets out of prison less than ten years from now.
