Salinas man sentenced for multiple murders after month-long rampage in 2015
UPDATE 2/14/18: A Salinas man has been sentenced for committing two first degree murders.
25-year-old Brad Azcona was sentenced by Monterey County Superior Court Judge Pamela Butler to life in prison without the possibility of parole for his role in committing two 1st degree murders. Azcona was also sentenced to multiple consecutive life terms for two attempted murders as well as the use of a firearm and 28 years and 4 months on the remainder of the charges.
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ORIGINAL STORY: A Salinas man has been found guilty of multiple murders after a month-long rampage in 2015.
25-year-old Brad Azcona was found guilty of two counts of 1st degree murder, two counts of attempted murder, assault with a firearm, attempted robbery, negligent discharge of a firearm, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The jury also found true a special circumstance that Azcona committed multiple murders.
On August 21, 2015 Azcona was riding his bike on Cherokee Drive in Salinas. Azcona saw the victim walking on the street and shot at him 13 times. That victim was struck in the arm and transported to Natividad Medical Center. A neighbor’s house was struck multiple times by fired bullets.
On September 8, 2015 Azcona was riding his bike on Duran Street in Salinas. Moises Sanchez, Devante Rogers, and Carlos Robles were driving home in that area and almost collided with Azcona on his bike. After the near-collision, Azcona followed the vehicle and fired 5-7 shots at the driver, Moises Sanchez. Sanchez was struck in the head and crashed the car. 16-year-old Carlos Robles exited the vehicle and Azcona fired 5-7 more gunshots just at Robles. Robles was struck 4 times and died as a result of the gunshot wounds.
On September 23, 2015 Azcona assaulted another victim by trying to take his tablet computer. When the victim wouldn’t give Azcona the tablet, Azcona pulled out a gun, threatened the victim and then struck the victim in the face with the gun.
Approximately 40 minutes after the attempted robbery on that day, Azcona went to the Chinatown area of Salinas where he got into a dispute with Ramon Herrera. Azcona killed Ramon Herrera by shooting him 9 times. Azcona was captured on numerous surveillance videos throughout Salinas on September 23, 2015 leading up to the robbery and murder and then fleeing the scene of the murder.
Azcona was finally captured, hiding in the crawl space of a home in Salinas, on October 8, 2015 after a 12-hour standoff with law enforcement.
Azcona is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2018. He faces life without the possibility of parole in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
