BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/FOX58) — A man was sentenced Thursday, July 3, for shooting his girlfriend in the head during a domestic incident in south Bakersfield, the Kern County district attorney said.
Jorge Gutierrez-Martinez, 33, was found guilty of one count of attempted murder with great bodily injury by discharge of a firearm, two counts of assault with a firearm, one count of false imprisonment by force, one count of possession of a firearm and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Prosecutors said Gutierrez-Martinez shot his girlfriend in the head shortly before noon on Sept. 5, 2023, in the 1400 block of Falcon Avenue after she asked him to leave her home during a domestic dispute.
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A friend of his girlfriend was also in the room when he shot her. Shortly afterward, he pointed the gun at the witness and forced her at gunpoint to leave the house and get into a truck with him, prosecutors said. The witness jumped out of the truck in the area of White Lane and South H Street and called 9-1-1.
Gutierrez-Martinez was later found in Lamont and arrested.
According to court documents, the friend texted her sister several minutes before the shooting, asking her to call 9-1-1 and come to her house. Her sister was able to help her and call an ambulance, who arrived within minutes and saved her life.
She was taken to Kern Medical and later flown by helicopter to UCLA Medical Center. She remained there for several months after the shooting and made a full recovery, prosecutors said.
“It is truly a miracle that the victims survived this tragedy. Domestic violence cases can escalate quickly and I am confident that this conviction will protect the victim and her loved ones from further harm,” said Kern DA Cynthia Zimmer.
At the time of the shooting, Gutierrez-Martinez was a convicted felon and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Gutierrez-Martinez’s sentencing is scheduled for August 1. He faces 57 years to life in prison.
