Ontario teen sentenced to prison
By Andy Gates - Argus Observer
Thursday, September 13, 2007 1:04 PM PDT
ONTARIO - Just shy of his 19th birthday, a former Ontario High School student was sentenced to prison Wednesday as punishment for his part in a vicious, June attack involving a baseball bat that left a 31-year-old man with a skull fracture and more than $20,000 in medical bills.
Stephen Reyes Garcia, 18, pleaded guilty in August to second degree attempted kidnapping and first degree attempted assault in connection to the attack. Two other Ontario teenagers, a 16-year-old juvenile, and 18-year-old Francisco Chavez were also listed as “co-defendants or crime partners” in the incident, Malheur County Circuit Court records show.
Garcia was sentenced Wednesday by Malheur County Circuit Court Judge J. Burdette Pratt to 60 months of supervised probation, 15 months of prison, and he was ordered to pay for the victim’s medical bills in monthly installments.
Police said the victim was beaten at a residence where the 16-year-old lived along the 700 block of Northwest Sixth Street in Ontario, Ontario Police Department Capt. Mark Alexander said in June after the incident occurred.
Police said the victim was struck on his head and back with a baseball bat, robbed of cash, and was taken to Beck Kiwanis park, where he was left.
“There was substantial injury to that victim,” Alexander said in June. “He ultimately ended up at Beck Kiwanis park, unconscious for several hours and got himself to the hospital later in the morning, and then we were called. There’s a gap between the time we were sent to the hospital and when the incident occurred.”
The 31-year-old victim was “acquainted” with the suspects, Alexander had said.
The victim has since moved out of the area, and he has not responded to the Malheur County District Attorney’s Office, court records show. Police were initially notified about the incident by Holy Rosary Medical Center staff, and the victim was later taken to a Boise-area hospital.
After the attack the victim was missing about $250, Malheur County Deputy District Attorney Erin Landis said Wednesday in court. The victim may have gone to the residence for a garage sale.
Pratt asked Landis Wednesday if drugs were involved in the incident.
Landis told the judge the situation may have involved “something more dubious” than just garage sale items.
Garcia told Pratt he was sorry for what he did.
“If I could change it, I would,” Garcia said. “I wasn’t really thinking clearly.”
Garcia told the court he was not on drugs or alcohol during the incident, but he said he was “scared.” The incident, “just sort of happened,” Garcia told the court.
“Things don’t just happen,” Pratt said. “You made decisions.”
Pratt asked Garcia what he thought would happen during the incident.
“I don’t know,” Garcia said. “Nothing that bad.”
Pratt told Garcia he is responsible for his participation in criminal activity.
“You can either waste that time,” Pratt said about Garcia’s prison sentence, “or use that time to learn.”
If Garcia violates his supervised probation after completing his prison sentence, he faces another 75 months of prison.
Chavez, who also pleaded guilty to second degree attempted kidnapping and first degree attempted assault is set to be sentenced Sept. 17, according to the Malheur County Circuit Court Clerk’s Office.
The 16-year-old pleaded guilty in August as a juvenile to two counts of third degree assault, felonies. His case streamed through juvenile court, and he was placed into the youth form of probation for 10 years, or until his 25th birthday, prosecutors said.
All three men had attended public school in Ontario, officials confirmed, and Chavez was a strong athlete. Chavez and Garcia were childhood friends, Garcia’s lawyer Gary Kiyuna told the court Wednesday.
Malheur County District Attorney Dan Norris said the case was difficult.
“Well, obviously it was a violent crime, more than likely drug related, and it’s a difficult case in that the age of the offenders and their records were mitigating factors for imposing Measure 11,” Norris said about mandatory minimum prison sentencing guidelines. “We’re going to give them (Chavez and Garcia) an opportunity, after a brief stay in prison, to abide by the law. However, if they fail to comply, they will face Measure 11 sentences.”
Alma wrote on Aug 28, 2009 8:22 PM:
Im so very proud of you, you did AMAZING!! Yet still very young and have years to improve, which seems scary. I know grandpa was cheering for you, chanting #1, #1... Keep up the great work kido. "