A Richmond man was convicted Friday for a San Rafael street shooting that partially paralyzed the victim.
A jury found Jose Alejandro Delacruz, 26, guilty of attempted murder and assault with a firearm after a three-week trial. Marin County Superior Court Judge Kevin Murphy scheduled the sentencing for May 13.
“While no verdict can undo the irreparable harm caused, we hope this brings some measure of closure to the victim and his family,” prosecutor Sun Seo said.
The crime happened in the Canal area on Jan. 23, 2021. Seo told jurors the victim was walking home with groceries when he encountered Delacruz near the corner of Canal and Novato streets.
The 32-year-old victim, who testified in a wheelchair during the trial, identified Delacruz as the person who shot him. They knew each other before the shooting. Seo said there was an incident in 2020 when the victim stayed in his truck and called police while Delacruz and several people challenged him to a fight.
Later, at the shooting, Delacruz called the victim a “snitch,” Seo told jurors.
Police determined the gunman fired one shot. The bullet entered the victim’s left clavicle area and damaged his spine, which paralyzed him from the waist down.
Delacruz fled in a vehicle driven by Daisy Rodriguez. Her boyfriend, Edwin Gramajo Reyes, was with them. Reyes and Rodriguez pleaded guilty in 2021 to being accessories to the crime after the fact.
Delacruz’s defense attorney, Jon Rankin, did not dispute the allegation that his client used a firearm, but he told jurors there was no evidence from police and witnesses that proved that Delacruz had the intent to kill the victim.
“It’s sad that young people are walking around on the streets of San Rafael with guns,” Rankin said after the verdict. “It’s a dangerous situation. Bad things inevitably happen.”
During his testimony, the victim said he forgave Alejandro Delacruz.
“I think we all make mistakes,” he said. “It’s not my job to judge him. God is the only one that can judge us.”