A 28-year-old man who shot at two pedestrians — wounding one — in a drive-by attack stemming from an earlier scuffle in downtown Riverside was bound for state prison Wednesday to serve a 35-year sentence.
Hector Alfonso Sanchez Torres of Home Gardens pleaded guilty last month to attempted murder, three counts of firearm assault and a sentence-enhancing gun use allegation, under a pretrial agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admissions, prosecutors dropped one related charge and several sentence enhancements against Torres.
During a hearing Tuesday at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Superior Court Judge Brian Hill certified the terms of the plea deal and imposed the stipulated sentence.
According to the Riverside Police Department, in the predawn hours of March 30, 2025, the defendant was involved in an unspecified conflict with two men, identified in court documents only as “E.F.” and “E.R.,” near the intersection of University Avenue and Main Street — an area known as the Entertainment District.
After the altercation ended, Torres went to his vehicle and then drove back to where the parties with whom he had fought were walking, former police spokesman Officer Ryan Railsback said at the time.
“The suspect drove along University … and shot at the victims before fleeing,” Railsback said.
He said one of the pedestrians was hit in the leg and taken to Riverside Community Hospital for treatment. He has since recovered. The other victim targeted by the defendant was not hurt.
Officers from the department’s Metro Team followed up leads pointing to Torres as the shooter, according to Railsback.
The defendant was located and taken into custody without incident roughly eight hours after the shooting, at a property on Windsong Street in Home Gardens.
Torres had no documented prior felony convictions.