THOUSAND OAKS : Gang Member Gets 8-Year Sentence

A Thousand Oaks gang member received the maximum sentence of eight years in prison Tuesday for his role in the drive-by slaying of a 20-year-old woman and for three other unrelated crimes.

Patrick H. Strickland, 23, was convicted Feb. 7 of being an accessory in the murder of Jennifer Jordan of Thousand Oaks on May 31.

The same Ventura County Superior Court jury convicted co-defendant Scott M. Kastan of first-degree murder. But the jury apparently decided that there was insufficient evidence that Strickland--seated next to Kastan in the car during the shooting--knew of Kastan’s plan to shoot at rival gang members.

None of the gang members were hit, but one of bullets struck and killed Jordan.

At the time of the slaying, Strickland had several other legal matters pending. He was free on bail, awaiting trial on a gang-related assault case in which a man was shot and wounded in Thousand Oaks on Jan. 8, 1991. He also was on probation for a burglary in Santa Barbara County.

After his accessory conviction, Strickland pleaded guilty to the assault charge and to committing a crime while free on bail. The convictions also made it possible that he will be resentenced on the burglary charge.

At the urging of Deputy Dist. Atty. Donald C. Glynn, Judge Lawrence Storch calculated the sentences for the various charges to give Strickland the maximum possible time in prison--eight years. Strickland’s attorney, Deputy Public Defender Joseph P. VillaSana had asked for seven years.

Kastan is scheduled to be sentenced Monday.