Fresno County man who killed 24-year-old makes plea deal, spared 40-to-life in prison
An Easton man who was charged with murder for fatally shooting 24-year-old Alexis Lopez Gutierrez of Sanger last year has agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors.
Ricardo Gutierrez Munguia, 45, withdrew his plea Wednesday from not guilty of murder to guilty of voluntary manslaughter. He also admitted to a sentencing enhancement for using a gun during the crime.
Judge Leanne Le Mon asked Munguia if he understood that his sentence for voluntary manslaughter plus the enhancement would be 10 years in prison. He said yes.
If Munguia rejected the plea deal and was convicted by a jury of first degree murder, he could have been sentenced to 40 years to life in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 6 in Dept. 30. Prosecuting the case was Senior Deputy District Attorney Daniel Walters and Munguia’s attorney was Eddie Ruiz.
Gutierrez, who is not related to the defendant, was shot and killed on Nov. 12 at about 7 p.m. in the area of W. Fantz and S. Geneva avenues in the community of Easton.
Fresno County Sheriff’s deputies said some kind of disturbance had occurred in the area prior to the shooting. When deputies arrived at the location, they found Gutierrez suffering from a gunshot. They provided first aid but they were unable to save him. He died at the scene.
Munguia fled after the shooting but turned himself in to deputies five days later.
This story was originally published September 8, 2022 at 1:07 PM.
