Ricky Gonzales was convicted of attempted murder in a Sacramento County shooting. A jury also convicted him of assault with a deadly weapon and being a felon in possession of a firearm, according to the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office. The victim survived, so the case involved a surviving shooting victim rather than a homicide victim.
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What the jury decided
The jury returned its verdict on February 16, 2024. Along with the three convictions, jurors found that Gonzales personally used a firearm and caused great bodily injury.
Great bodily injury refers to serious physical harm. The firearm and injury findings increased the seriousness of the conduct considered at sentencing.
What led to the shooting
According to the District Attorney's account, the victim arrived at a clothing store and argued with Gonzales's wife over which parent would leave with their child. The account says Gonzales then shot the victim four times. The victim survived those injuries.
The prison sentence
Judge James Arguelles sentenced Gonzales on July 12, 2024, to 49 years and four months to life in prison. The jury had also found true that Gonzales had a 2003 prior robbery strike conviction.
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The District Attorney's Office sentencing announcement identifies the convictions, sentencing judge, sentence, and prior-strike finding. A sentence stated as "to life" means it includes a life-prison component rather than a fixed release date.
Where the case stands now
Gonzales appealed the judgment. California's Third District Court of Appeal affirmed it on May 4, 2026, denied rehearing on May 12, and the California Supreme Court denied review on July 8.
The California Courts appellate docket marks the appeal complete. The Sacramento County prosecution was filed as case 22FE003665.