Antonio Mendoza Chavez Jr., 37, was sentenced to life in prison Friday for the 2020 first-degree murder of a Dinuba man, whom he shot after accusing his girlfriend of infidelity. (Tulare County DA)
Share
|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
A Tulare County man has been sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the 2020 shooting death of a man in Dinuba, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Antonio Mendoza Chavez Jr., 37, was sentenced in Tulare County Superior Court following his August 2024 conviction for first-degree murder with a special allegation of firearm use.
Related Story: Tulare County Man Arrested After Firing at Deputies During Eviction Attempt
The shooting occurred on Aug. 14, 2020, after Chavez, who had recently reconciled with his girlfriend, became enraged upon learning she had stayed at a friend’s home during their brief breakup.
Authorities said Chavez spent the day obtaining and test-firing a .22 AR-15 rifle before forcing his girlfriend to accompany him to the friend’s Dinuba-area residence, where he shot the man once through the eye.
Related Story: Tulare County Man Found Guilty in Violent 2020 Sexual Assault
Chavez and his girlfriend later returned north, where he burned their clothes and the car’s tires. He was arrested on Sept. 4, 2020, in the Sultana area following a brief vehicle chase.
Under California law, Chavez must serve 25 years before becoming eligible for parole, prosecutors said.
Related Story: Tulare County Man Sentenced to Life for Shooting Spree
—
Connect with Anthony W. Haddad on social media. Got a tip? Send an email.
RELATED TOPICS:
Categories
Visalia Man Arrested Again in Child Exploitation Case After National Tip
Fresno’s Downtown Kern Street Market Set for Return. Get Your Produce Baskets Ready
Retired Madera County Sheriff Edward Bates Dies at 99
Military Parade on Trump’s Birthday Could Include More Than 6,500 Troops
