Three men convicted of attacking three people in Lowe's parking lot in West Sacramento in 2010 have been sentenced to prison.
Jose Antonio Duran and Salvador Benjamin Vasquez Jr., both 20 years old, and Joseph Vincent Sisneros, 21, attacked a Starbucks employee and UC Davis student who they saw eating in his car in the Lowe's parking lot about 10 p.m. April 19, 2010. The three men, all of whom a Yolo County jury found to be active Norteno gang members, took the victim's iPod, wallet and keys, according to a Yolo County District Attorney's Office news release. The men then beat the victim, causing two facial fractures, while he begged them to stop, officials said.
The men were laughing and shouting "Norte," the name of their gang, which caught the attention of four Lowe's employees as the exited the store. One of the employees, a U.S. Army reservist, approached the scene of the assault and attempted to call police. He was then targeted by the men, who threatened to shoot him and chased him away.
The men caught a second Lowe's employee, a UC Davis physical therapy student. Although the employee raised his hands in surrender, officials said Duran and Sisneros repeatedly kicked the employee in the face, breaking his nose, while Vasquez threatened to shoot him.
The defendants later were pulled over by police as they left the area in Duran's car. All three were convicted Feb. 27 of this year following a two-week trial.
Yolo Superior Court Judge Stephen L. Mock sentenced Sisneros to state prison for 15 years, Vasquez for 18 years and four months, and Duran for 21 years and four months. He also imposed the statutory term of 7 years to life on all three defendants for the gang-related witness intimidation.
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