Two King City men plead guilty to attempted murder on behalf of gang

KING CITY, Calif. (KION) Two King City residents pleaded guilty to attempted murder for the benefit of a gang.

The Monterey County District Attorney's Office said 23-year-old Heber Veronica and 22-year-old Francisco Martinez were driving on San Antonio Drive in January 2018 when they saw an SUV that they thought had rival gang members inside.

The two men showed gang signs and followed the vehicle onto Highway 101. The people inside the SUV realized that they could not outrun the two men, so they decided to turn around and head back to King City. At that point, the DA's Office said Veronica and Martinez started shooting at the SUV.

Veronica and Martinez followed the SUV in the other direction, and while the two were shooting at it, the people inside were reporting the incident to 911.

A Monterey County Park Ranger heard the broadcast and saw the vehicle the suspects were in, so the ranger tried to stop them. The ranger saw the men throw two guns out of the vehicle, and they were later found by law enforcement.

When the men are sentenced, Veronica is expected to receive 20 years in prison and Martinez is expected to receive 12 years in prison.