(Woodland, CA) – November 2, 2015 – Yolo County District Attorney Jeff Reisig announced that on Friday, October 30, 2015, 28-year-old Woodland man, Mitchell Allen Contreras, was convicted of assault with a firearm and gang enhancements for crimes that occurred in the evening of September 27, 2013 in Woodland.
According to the evidence, a Woodland homeowner was on his way home that evening wearing a blue LA Dodgers baseball cap. He was followed and confronted outside his home by Contreras and another individual. The two men challenged the homeowner by asking where he was from, a common gang challenge. When the homeowner would not answer and turned to go into the house, one of the two men shot the wall adjacent to the door with a shotgun. The homeowner was not hurt and the two men left.
Later that evening, Contreras and another man driving Contreras’ car went to a different street in Woodland and confronted people outside of a party. An argument ensued and a witness heard one of the two men shout “Bosque,” referring to Vario Bosque Norteños, a Woodland street gang. At that point, witnesses saw Contreras firing a gun and two victims were struck. One bullet struck the leg of one victim and the other bullet struck the cell phone in the left shirt pocket of the second victim. The cell phone stopped the bullet but caused a fragment to ricochet into the arm of the victim.
Although charged with multiple counts of attempted murder, Contreras entered into an agreement where he plead to three counts of Assault with a Firearm, three Enhancements for Criminal Street Gang Activity, and two enhancements for Personal Use of a Firearm. Contreras also admitted he had a prior “strike” offense, a residential burglary from 2007. Contreras agreed to serve 37 years in state prison.
Judge David Reed presided over the case and is scheduled to sentence Contreras on December 8, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 8 of the Yolo County Superior Court.
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