Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 02/05/07

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine Cook Deputy District Attorney David Barkhurst

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

GANG MEMBERS SENTENCED TO 30 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HOME INVASION ROBBERY

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced that on February 2, 2007, Judge Rene Chouteau sentenced three Noreno gang members to prison for their role in a brutal 2005 home invasion robbery in Windsor. Judge Chouteau sentenced Pablo Alviso to 30 years 8 months in prison, Michael Bloom to 28 years 8 months in prison, and Efrain Barrios to 32 years state prison. Under California law, the defendants will not be eligible for parole until they serve a minimum of 85% of their sentence.

District Attorney Passalacqua said that "We will not rest in our efforts to ensure that gang members who commit violence against citizens in their homes are prosecuted and punished severely."

The February 24, 2005 robbery occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. The three defendants, who were wearing ski masks, forced their way into the victims’ home through the front door. When the male victim struggled with the defendants at the entry way, one of the defendants shot him twice. The shooting victim’s adult daughter was also in the residence and was being held upstairs while her father struggled with the other robbers. The shooting victim suffered severe internal injuries, and spent several weeks in the hospital recovering.

The three defendants pled on January 5, 2007, the morning their trial was to commence. A fourth defendant, Amanda DeCamp, age 25, entered a guilty plea in 2005.

Deputy District Attorney David Barkhurst was the prosecutor assigned to the case and was assisted by District Attorney Investigator Denise Urton, Legal Assistant Dava Kohlman, and Victim Advocate Eric Hergenreder. Sonoma County Sheriff’s Sergeant Carlos Basurto was the lead detective, and Deputy Michael Morarity was the gang expert on this successful investigation.