Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 05/17/06

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Larry Scoufos

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

BROTHERS SENTENCED TO LIFE TERMS

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced today that Gabriel Tafolla, 20, and his brother, Adan Valdovinos, 35, were sentenced to life terms in prison for the first degree murder of Daniel Camargo, 19, and the attempted murder of Jose Tello, also 19 years of age. A Sonoma County jury convicted the brothers on February 24, 2006.

Superior Court Judge Elliot Lee Daum sentenced Tafolla to a term of 70 years to life for his involvement in the murder and attempted murder. Tafolla personally twice discharged a shotgun, killing Mr. Camargo and nearly missing Mr. Tello. Valdovinos was sentenced to thirteen years plus 25 years to life for his involvement.

The convictions resulted from a September 6, 2005 shooting that occurred in Santa Rosa. The victims and the defendants had an earlier confrontation at a Santa Rosa Taco truck in which one of the victims threw hot sauce at the defendant’s car. The defendants drove to their home where Gabriel Tafolla retrieved a sawed-off shotgun. Valdovinos and Tafolla then went out looking for the victims. Tafolla exited Valdovino’s vehicle with the shotgun and pointed it at Camargo and Tello. After a brief struggle over the gun, Tafolla fatally fired the weapon at Camargo. He then turned the gun and fired once at Manuel Tello who was trying to run away. Tello was not injured in the incident.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Diana Gomez was the prosecutor assigned to the case. Detective Brenda Harrington from Santa Rosa Police Department was the lead investigator in the case.