An Auburn man was sentenced to 13 years in prison for a September 2024 shooting that critically injured a 23-year-old man.
Following a jury trial, Justo Giovany Salgado-Reyes was sentenced on Aug. 22 to 158 months in prison — a little over 13 years — for the crime of first-degree assault and drive-by shooting. For first-degree assault, Salgado-Reyes received a 98-month sentence, and for the crime of drive-by shooting, to run at the same time as his first sentence, he received a sentence of 15 months, plus a 60-month weapon enhancement.
These charges stem from a Sept. 8, 2024, drive-by shooting at about 1:53 a.m. at the Colonial Court Apartments, 1210 30th Street SE., in Auburn. In the shooting, a now 23-year-old man, then 22, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to his lower torso from a vehicle that drove by him and shot at him, leaving him in critical condition, although he survived.
Apart from an illegal entry immigration violation from 2009, Salgado-Reyes had no criminal history, giving him an offender score of zero for the crime of first-degree assault. With an offender score of zero, his standard sentencing range for the crime of first-degree assault was between 93 and 123 months, plus a 60-month weapon enhancement.
Salgado-Reyes’ defense, citing that a third party in his vehicle was alleged to have committed the shooting and there was no evidence he was the main shooter, requested that he serve an exceptional sentence of credit for time served. The court denied this request.
His defense stated that if the court did not wish to deviate from the standard sentencing range, they recommended a 93-month sentence, plus the 60-month weapon enhancement, for a total sentence of 153 months — a little under 13 years.
The state, citing that the victim in the case suffered catastrophic injuries and would have died if it weren’t for lifesaving efforts, recommended Salgado-Reyes serve a 123-month sentence, plus the 60-month weapon enhancement, for a total sentence of 183 months — a little over 15 years.
Details of the incident
According to charging documents, Auburn police responded to the apartment complex on Sept. 8, 2024, at about 1:53 a.m. after receiving multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered an unconscious man with multiple gunshot wounds to his lower torso. He was subsequently transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, documents state.
According to documents, the victim was with his two brothers, who were also shot at, but were not injured. Documents state that multiple witnesses identified a red sedan as the source of the gunfire.
Documents state that Auburn police surveillance cameras captured the red sedan fleeing the scene. Documents state that the vehicle was subsequently matched as having been driven by Salgado-Reyes in a previous police contact.
According to documents, the red sedan was towed, and when it was being towed, Salgado-Reyes was questioned. Documents state that he said he was in the area when the shooting occurred, and he heard a shooting, but he said he was not involved in the shooting.
Following a search of the sedan, a spent shell casing was found inside the car that matched the same shell casings as those found at the scene of the shooting. The shell casings found at the scene in the car were 9mm, documents state.
Documents state that five days after the shooting, the shooting victim was interviewed by police, and he said that the night of the shooting, he had gotten into a fight with some neighbors, but the fight ended. Documents state that the victim said that after the fight, he saw a red sedan drive by him and his brothers, and the driver of the sedan pointed a gun at them and shot.
One of the victim’s brothers said that he also saw the driver shoot a gun out the window, and there was a female in the front passenger seat. One of the victim’s other brothers said that before shooting, the driver of the sedan yelled in Spanish that he was going to shoot someone.
Documents state that when Salgado-Reyes was arrested, he changed his story multiple times, saying at first that he knew nothing about the shooting and then saying that the shooter was in his car, but he was being threatened to drive. According to documents, Salgado-Reyes said that after the shooting, the shooter told him to drive him to Kent, or else he would shoot him too.
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