A 18-year-old Montclair man on the verge of going to trial for two shootings targeting a rival gang member pleaded guilty Monday to attempted murder and was sentenced to more than 27 years in prison.
Ulises Ponce, who was 16 years old at the time of the first shooting but was prosecuted as an adult, pleaded to two counts of attempted murder. He admitted to personally using a firearm and inflicting great bodily injury, according to the District Attorney’s Office.
Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Wade Olson immediately sentenced Ponce to 27 years and 8 months in prison.
In exchange for Ponce’s plea, two counts of assault with a firearm and one count of criminal threats were dismissed, along with a gang allegation.
Ponce wounded a rival gang member on Sept. 15, 2012, and shot at the same person on March 24 of last year, according to Deputy District Attorney Martin Bean.
Prosecutors said Ponce also threatened to harm his girlfriend while speaking with her on the telephone on March 25.
Ponce was arrested two days later.
— City News Service