SANTA ANA – A 26-year-old felon pleaded guilty Friday and was immediately sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting a friend when they got into a dispute while driving in Santa Ana.
Christopher Samael Sandoval pleaded guilty to attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm and possession of a firearm by a felon, all felonies. He also admitted a sentencing enhancement for the personal use of a firearm. As part of the plea deal he accepted from Orange County Superior Court Judge Scott Steiner, a sentencing enhancement for attempted premeditated murder, which would have mandated a life sentence, was dropped.
Sandoval was given credit for 1,551 days already spent in custody.
Sandoval and the victim were in a Chevrolet pickup in the 1700 block of North English Street in Santa Ana about 2:50 p.m. Sept. 6, 2019, when the pair got into a dispute, according to police.
Sandoval pulled out a gun and shot his friend, who was driving, in the head, police said.
It is not clear what happened next, but Sandoval bailed out of the car and was found an hour later hiding in a closet of a residence several blocks away, police said.
The victim was taken to a hospital and survived, police said.
Sandoval pleaded guilty in March 2018 to stealing a car and driving drunk. He was initially sentenced to 90 days in jail, but has served more time in jail since then due to probation violations, according to court records.
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