Contact Person: Marv Stern, Principal Criminal Attorney
916-874-6612
District Attorney Jan Scully today announced
that Ricky Carl Huerta was sentenced to 20 years plus 55-year-to-life in
prison by the Honorable David Abbot, Judge of the Superior Court, for the
shooting of a Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputy in 2004.
On March 21, 2004, Sacramento County Sheriff’s Deputies Matt Tallman and
Jamin Martinez responded to a domestic violence call placed by Huerta’s wife
Virginia, after Huerta slapped her during an argument. The deputies
contacted Mrs. Huerta outside her North Highlands home, and as they
approached the front door, Huerta opened fire from inside the home.
Deputy Tallman was struck by two bullets; one bullet entered through his
upper arm and crossed his chest, lodging just above the heart. The other
bullet struck him in the lower back, but Deputy Tallman was partially
protected from that bullet by his bulletproof vest. Deputy Martinez felt
another bullet pass through his hair as he turned for cover when the
shooting began.
Sheriff’s deputies quickly surrounded the home, and within about one-half
hour, Huerta, his wife Virginia, and their two sons walked out of the home.
Huerta was immediately taken into custody.
In a jury trial held in June, Huerta was convicted of the attempted
premeditated murder of a police officer, as well as multiple counts of
assault on a police officer. Huerta had been to prison previously for
spousal abuse, and has prior convictions as an adult for attempted robbery,
driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and misdemeanor spousal
abuse. At the time of this crime, Huerta was employed by the State of
California Printing Office.
Prosecutor Marv Stern said, “If the defendant’s aim had been a tiny bit more
accurate we would have had two dead police officers in Sacramento. The
judge’s sentence means that Mr. Huerta will never have a chance to have a
gun in his hands again.”
