Man acquitted of shooting, but convicted of gun charge, sentenced

A 31-year-old convicted felon acquitted of trying to kill two men at a Coachella convenience store but found guilty of illegally possessing a firearm while on bail was sentenced today, but the term of imprisonment was summarily rescinded because he had already satisfied the sentence during his time waiting in jail to be tried.
Alonso Vega Aguilar was acquitted last week by a Riverside jury of two counts of attempted murder and one count of assault with a gun. Jurors, however, convicted Aguilar of being a convicted felon with a firearm and a sentence-enhancing allegation of committing that offense while on bond.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni imposed a sentence of four years, eight months behind bars. But after crediting the defendant with the time he had spent locked up, awaiting trial, the sentence was voided, and Aguilar was released from custody.
According to a trial brief filed by Deputy District Attorney Jenna Barsamian, the altercation that sparked the shooting happened on May 3, 2015, at an am/pm convenience store at 48055 Grapefruit Blvd.
The three victims -- identified in court documents only as Francisco V., Alfredo B. and Andrew H. -- were leaving Fantasy Springs Resort Casino when they pulled into the store and gas station on Grapefruit.
While in the store, Alfredo and Francisco encountered Aguilar, prompting them to turn around and leave, according to the brief. The defendant pursued them into the parking lot, where a fight erupted for reasons not specified in court papers.
Prosecutors alleged that Aguilar pulled a handgun during the altercation and opened fire, wounding Alfredo and Andrew.
The men jumped into Francisco's vehicle, and he took them to a Coachella Valley hospital for treatment. Both victims fully recovered from their wounds.
The trial brief indicated that an Indio police investigator identified Aguilar from security surveillance videotape procured from the store.
However, the evidence presented at trial was inadequate in convincing jurors that Aguilar attacked and intended to kill the victims.
At the time, he was on bail, awaiting adjudication of a criminal threats case, which was also disposed during the attempted murder trial.