VENTURA : Man Gets Prison for Attempted Murder

An 18-year-old who repeatedly shot a liquor store owner outside his Ventura shop was sentenced Friday to serve a life term plus 11 years in prison, though he will be eligible for parole in 12 1/2 years.

Superior Court Judge Steven Z. Perren paused before delivering the sentence, saying he wanted to properly convey the meaning behind his ruling to Tristan Mena, who fired the shots when he was still 17.

“There is a terrible thing in our society,” Perren said. “Young people with no sense of mortality are killing people.”

Last June, California Street liquor store owner Sammy Abdulhai gave $10 worth of food to Mena and two other beggars who stood outside his store.

When they continued to pester customers for more handouts, Abdulhai shooed them away. Mena threatened to come back and shoot him, a threat he carried out the next night. He shot Abdulhai twice in the arm, once in the abdomen and once in the side.

“You committed the most monstrous crime I can imagine,” Perren said, describing how Mena had stood close enough to Abdulhai to look into his eyes before shooting him four times. Mena then put the gun to a woman’s head and pulled the trigger, but there were no bullets left.

Perren denied a request for a new trial by Mena’s attorney, Zane Smith, but granted Smith’s request to place Mena into a California Youth Authority facility before a transfer to state prison at the age of 25.

Deputy Dist. Atty. Terence Kilbride said it would be a tragedy to let Mena out early on parole, and asked for his terms to be served consecutively.

“He is a danger to everybody who he comes in contact with,” he said.

Mena showed no reaction to his sentence for one count of attempted murder and one count of assault with a firearm. After the sentencing, Abdulhai said he was pleased with the outcome. “It can’t be more fair than that,” he said.