Jose Luna (left), 33, and Ralph Grajeda, 45, both of Visalia, have been sentenced in the 2021 shotgun killing of Robert Soto at a motel on Visalia's Noble Avenue. (Tulare County DA)
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A second Visalia man involved in a 2021 murder was sentenced Tuesday in Tulare County Superior Court.
Ralph Grajeda, 45, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on May 28 and received a prison term of 19 years, 4 months in state prison.
He and Jose Luna shot to death Robert Soto, 40, on Jan. 8, 2021, in a room at Visalia’s Majestic Inn on Noble Avenue.
Robert Soto
Surveillance footage obtained by Visalia police detectives showed two suspects entering and exiting the room with what appeared to be a shotgun before a loud sound was heard and the men fled.
Grajeda remained at the motel and was arrested without incident. He later implicated Luna as the shooter. Luna was arrested nearly a month later after calling for medical assistance and receiving treatment.
Prosecutors believe the killing stemmed from perceived former gang ties.
Luna pleaded guilty in September 2024 to first-degree murder with special allegations, including witness intimidation and use of a firearm. The crime constituted his third “strike” under California’s Three Strike Law, prosecutors said.
Luna, 33, received a sentence of 50 years to life in November and is incarcerated at Pleasant Valley State Prison.
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