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Marion County District Attorney Secures Accountability in Another Juvenile Shooting - 03/21/24

Salem, OR. 3/21/2024. The Marion County District Attorney’s Office announced today that Saul Sosa-Medina, now 18, has been sentenced in both juvenile and adult court for the shooting of two young women on August 8, 2022.

On 8/8/2022, then 17-year-old Sosa-Medina shot two women. One17-year-old victim was struck in her hip, and 23-year-old Rayna Dawn Keener was hit in the hand and right hip area.  Both women were transported to a local hospital. Thankfully neither of their injuries were life threatening. 

The motivation behind the shooting remains unclear.  However, the investigation revealed that Sosa-Medina was one of three juvenile males walking through the Evergreen Park Apartment’s parking lot, where the two victims were also outside. Witnesses did not describe any confrontation, however Sosa-Medina fired one shot at the victims and fled south. Salem Police apprehended Sosa-Medina in less than an hour in nearby Englewood Park.  He matched the description of the shooter provided by the victims and was detained for violating curfew and trespassing. 

Sosa-Medina denied firing the gun, but admitted to law enforcement that he was in the area.  He also admitted to being an active gang member.   

At the time of the incident, Sosa-Medina was on parole from the Oregon Youth Authority for Criminal Mischief 2, Reckless Burning and Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle.

Sosa-Medina’s arbitrary, reckless, and incredibly dangerous behavior placed innocent victims in grave danger.

“This case is yet another disturbing example of gang-affiliated juveniles with guns,” said District Attorney Paige Clarkson. “I wholeheartedly support community intervention to address this increasing problem- but know this: my office is committed to protecting the innocent, especially children, and holding those who put them at risk accountable for their actions.”

Sosa-Medina was initially charged in juvenile court.  Since 2019 (see SB 1008), juvenile courts have exclusive jurisdiction over all conduct committed by people under the age of 18 regardless of the severity of the offense.  In Oregon, a youth can only be tried as an adult if a judge determines that is appropriate through a complicated legal analysis and subsequently waives the youth into adult court. 

Despite that high legal threshold, and due to the severity of the crime and Sosa-Medina’s previous OYA involvement, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office sought to waive Sosa-Medina into adult court.  That would ensure that his criminal history reflects the violent conduct and hold him accountable under an adult sentencing structure.[1] 

Rather than litigate the waiver, the parties agreed to a bifurcated resolution: Sosa-Medina stipulated to an adult conviction for the lesser offense of Assault in the Second Degree with a Firearm, while also being adjudicated in juvenile court for two counts of Attempted Assault in the First Degree and Unlawful Use of a Weapon.  He will serve his 70-month sentence at the Oregon Youth Authority but is eligible for release halfway through his sentence (legal process known as “second look”).  He was sentenced by Marion County Circuit Court Judge Lindsey Partridge. 

“Our office is committed to pursuing justice through whatever creative means necessary,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy, the prosecutor on the case.

District Attorney Paige Clarkson stated that, “We all have a collective obligation to address the increasing problem of young men with firearms. Our office will continue to work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our community and hold all offenders accountable. Here, we do that by ensuring a significant sentence while making sure that the offender has the best chance at rehabilitation before being released into the community.”


The case was investigated by the Salem Police Department.  The lead detective was Det. Tom Johnson. 


 


[1] Under Oregon law, when youth are sentenced as adults they do not immediately go to the Department of Corrections. Instead, they serve adult time within the Oregon Youth Authority until they’re 25 years old. 

Marion County District Attorney's Office Announces Sentencing in Shooting Death of Eduardo Jovani Garcia - 03/14/24

Marion County, Oregon. 3/14/2024. 

District Attorney Paige Clarkson announced today that two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in the March 9, 2022, drive by shooting death of Eduardo Jovani Garcia.  Mr. Garcia was 20 years old at the time of his death. 

John Juarez-Juarez, 19 at the time of the incident, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree and Attempted Murder in the First Degree. 

Shooter Yahir Cruz-Rosales, barely 18 at the time of the incident, also pled guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison for Manslaughter in the Frist Degree and Attempted Murder in the First Degree with a Firearm.   At the time of the shooting, he was on parole from the Oregon Youth Authority for Burglary in the First Degree. 

Both cases were resolved via a settlement conference before Marion County Circuit Court Judge Jennifer K. Gardiner.  She sentenced the defendants on March 14, 2024. 

The shooting occurred at approximately 5:30pm on Hayesville Rd NE. The defendants were in a black 2004 BMW when they spotted the victim’s vehicle on Lancaster Drive NE.  For over three and a half minutes they pursued the victim through traffic until they were able to pull alongside the victim’s vehicle in the opposite lane of travel on Hayesville Rd, where Cruz-Rosales shot the victim’s car three times.  Garcia was struck one time in the chest and the bullet lodged in his spine. 

At sentencing, Defendant Juarez-Juarez confirmed that their motivation for the killing was gang related. 

Both John Juarez-Juarez and Yahir Cruz-Rosales had previously been victims in shooting incidents.  On December 7, 2019, John Juarez-Juarez was shot in the neck as a 16-year-old.  He did not cooperate with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the case was never charged.  On February 27, 2022, Yahir Cruz-Rosales was in a vehicle that was shot seventeen times on Portland Road NE. That Salem Police investigation was ongoing when this incident occurred.   

Investigations of those prior incidents never linked Eduardo Jovani Garcia in any way to those shootings.  

Also inside the victim’s vehicle at the time of the shooting was front seat passenger Zachery Retonong, 20.  He was not injured. Subsequent to this shooting, Retonong was charged with Murder in the First Degree in Multnomah County for the August 7, 2021, death of Donhavinh Saelee. Ultimately, Retonong pled guilty to Manslaughter in the First Degree and other firearm-related offenses.  He is currently serving a 270-month prison sentence in the Oregon Department of Corrections for that incident. 

Retonong’s convictions created proof challenges for the prosecution in this incident, which was a factor in the negotiated resolution to manslaughter on this case. 

“This is another senseless gang-related shooting death,” District Attorney Paige Clarkson stated. “It is worrisome how common this narrative has become for young men in this community. This case, combined with tragic recent events, emphasizes the need to focus on gun violence prevention and community-based intervention of gang violence.”  

“Our deepest sympathies go out to the victim’s family and loved ones. Especially Eduardo’s daughter, who was yet-to-be born before this tragedy took her father.” 

The case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Salem Police Department.  The lead Detective was Marion County Sheriff’s Detective Noe Martinez.  The District Attorney’s Office would like to recognize his and his fellow detective’s significant work in this investigation. 

The case was prosecuted by Chief Deputy District Attorney Brendan Murphy.  Any questions can be directed to BPMurphy@co.marion.or.us or (503) 588-5222.