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VISALIA, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) - A antheral who was progressive successful the death of a antheral astatine a motel successful Visalia successful 2020 received his situation sentence, the Tulare County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
The man, Ralph Grajeda, received a condemnation for the decease of 40-year-old Robert Soto. The different antheral who was involved, Jose Luna, received a condemnation successful November 2024.
On Jan. 8, 2021, officers with the Visalia Police Department were called to a motel for a study of a antheral lying down successful a room, bleeding with nary signs of life. The antheral was identified arsenic Soto.
According to the DA, detectives utilized surveillance footage to place 2 suspects entering, leaving, and re-entering the motel country with what appeared to beryllium a shotgun, followed by a large dependable and the men's speedy departure.
The DA said aboriginal successful the footage, 1 fishy was seen re-entering the motel and going to a antithetic room. The fishy who remained astatine the hotel, Grajeda, was arrested without incident. He implicated Luna.
On Feb. 7, Luna made a telephone to authorities for aesculapian assistance and was taken into custody without incidental aft being treated. It is believed the transgression was committed owed to perceived erstwhile pack associations.
The victim, Roberto Jr. Soto
The suspect, Ralph GrajedaIn September of 2024, Luna pleaded blameworthy to first-degree execution with the peculiar allegations of witnesser intimidation, idiosyncratic usage of a firearm, and that the transgression constituted a 3rd "strike" nether California's Three Strikes Law. Luna was sentenced to 50 years to beingness successful situation successful November 2024 and is presently incarcerated astatine Pleasant Valley State Prison.
On May 28, 2025, Grajeda pleaded blameworthy to voluntary manslaughter. On Tuesday, helium was sentenced to 19 years, 4 months successful authorities prison.
