A criminal who committed a robbery in Perris and fired at a security guard while fleeing, then later attempted to escape from law enforcement, has been sentenced to 20 years in state prison.
Jose Rangel, aged 32, pleaded guilty in April to attempted robbery, shooting at an occupied vehicle, and felony evasion as part of a plea agreement with the Riverside County District Attorney’s Office. In exchange for his admission, two related charges were dropped by the prosecutors.
During a hearing at the Riverside Hall of Justice, Superior Court Judge Mark Johnson approved the plea deal and imposed the proposed prison term presented by the prosecution and defense.
Rangel’s co-defendant, David Joseph Esparza, aged 33, previously pleaded guilty in 2018 to the same charges and was sentenced to three years in state prison.
According to sheriff’s officials, on March 28, 2018, shortly after midnight, Rangel and Esparza stormed the Circle K located at 3995 Perris Blvd. Rangel threatened the clerk with a handgun while Esparza stole various items.
Sheriff’s Sgt. Curt Harris stated that a security guard, who was working the night shift in the vicinity, happened to stop by the store and was just entering when the ex-convicts, frightened by his uniform, rushed outside and nearly knocked him down. The duo escaped in an SUV, and the guard attempted to follow them, said Harris.
“One of the defendants fired his weapon at the guard and accelerated to put distance between themselves and the witness,” the sergeant said. The guard immediately retreated and returned to the store.
Harris mentioned that the deputies were unable to locate the defendants initially. However, investigators swiftly obtained evidence that led to the identification of Esparza as one of the culprits.
The next day, deputies surveilled a residence on Alma Street in Perris, where Esparza was suspected to be hiding. According to Harris, Rangel, a probationer, and a 19-year-old woman were spotted leaving the location in an SUV matching the guard’s description after several hours.
“When the deputies attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver led them on a pursuit around the southern part of Perris,” Harris explained. “The pursuit concluded in the same area where it began, and the occupants fled on foot in different directions.”
With the assistance of a sheriff’s helicopter crew, deputies quickly located and arrested the trio without any resistance. Fortunately, no one was harmed.
The woman was interrogated and subsequently released.
According to court records, Rangel had previous convictions for burglary and auto theft, while Esparza had previous convictions for auto theft, hit-and-run resulting in property damage, and obstructing a peace officer.
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