A 29-year-old man who shot a person outside a convenience store in Santa Ana was sentenced to 32 years to life in prison, according to court records obtained Tuesday.
Cristian Medina was convicted April 23 of attempted murder and assault with a firearm, both felonies, with sentencing enhancements of attempted premeditated murder, discharge of a gun causing great bodily injury, inflicting great bodily injury on the victim and personal use of a gun during a felony. Medina had 1,835 days credit behind bars at his sentencing on Friday.
Medina shot the victim Feb. 2, 2020, outside a 7-Eleven store at 1425 W. Warner Ave., according to police testimony in the defendant’s preliminary hearing.
As the man was leaving the store the defendant asked him, “Where are you from,” which is what police often refer to as a “gang hit up” or “challenge.”
The victim said, “nowhere — where are you from,” police testified.
Medina responded with the name of a local gang, which prompted the victim to curse the gang, which led to the shooting, police testified.
The victim managed to make his way to a hospital on his own after he fled the shooting, police testified.