Probationer convicted of trying to kill man during Desert Hot Springs home invasion
A 29-year-old probationer who tried to kill a man by shooting him in the head during a Desert Hot Springs home invasion robbery was convicted today of attempted murder and other offenses.
After deliberating less than a day, a Riverside Jury on Thursday found Altonia Vontae Jackson Jr. guilty of the 2017 attack on Domenic Matthew "Butch'' Tallarita, now 48.
Along with attempted murder, jurors convicted Jackson of robbery, carjacking, home invasion, burglary, shooting at an inhabited structure, felony evading, probation violations and sentence-enhancing gun and great bodily injury allegations.
The verdicts came before the lunch hour Thursday. Jurors briefly deliberated Wednesday afternoon after the prosecution and defense completed closing statements in the weeklong trial.
Riverside County Superior Court Judge Matthew Perantoni scheduled a sentencing hearing for Oct. 7 at the Riverside Hall of Justice.
Jackson, who is being held without bail at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta, is facing life in prison with the possibility of parole.
He was arrested on July 30, 2017, following the home invasion and shooting at Tallarita's residence in the 9700 block of Vista Del Valle, near Mission Lakes Boulevard.
During a 2020 preliminary hearing, the victim testified that he awoke shortly before 7 a.m. to his wife screaming that somebody was in their garage, stealing one of his dirt bikes. Tallarita said that he sprinted to the garage, where he saw a man clad in motorcycle gear atop one of the bikes.
The homeowner was armed with a .45-caliber handgun when he flung open the door, but said that he never got a chance to raise the weapon before Jackson unleashed multiple rounds from his own handgun, striking Tallarita eight times -- including four shots to the head.
The victim's wife called 911 as the defendant pushed the dirt bike out of the garage, cranked it up and sped away.
Desert Hot Springs police officers, who had been alerted to the shooting, saw a motorcyclist riding away from the neighborhood where the home invasion had been reported and gave chase, signaling the rider to stop.
The ensuing pursuit traveled southbound into Palm Springs, where Jackson pulled over on Indian Canyon Drive near Interstate 10 and surrendered without further incident, police said.
Tallarita was critically wounded, undergoing extensive surgery, during which a portion of his skull was removed, as well as brain tissue, to dislodge one of the bullets.
The victim previously testified that he suffered ongoing battles with seizures, kidney pain, depression and other issues requiring him to see medical professionals on an almost continual basis.
At the time of his arrest, Jackson was on probation for a 2015 misdemeanor conviction of carrying a concealed firearm in a vehicle without a permit.
