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Man Convicted In Modesto Road Rage Shooting That Hurt Pregnant Woman Sentenced To Prison

MODESTO (CBS13) – A man convicted of shooting at a woman who was eight months pregnant has been sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.

The incident happened back on June 16, 2019 in downtown Modesto. That afternoon, Christina Medeiros and Frank Townsend – along with a 4-year-old child – were in a car when they were shot at by Fernando Garcia.

Road rage appears to have motivated Garcia, but exactly what prompted him to pull out a gun and shoot at the other car was never clear.

Prosecutors say Garcia shot four to five times, hitting Medeiros in the shoulder and Townsend in the torso – paralyzing him from the chest down. Medeiros was pregnant at the time, police said.

Garcia, now 24, was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of attempted murder and two counts of shooting at an occupied vehicle. He was convicted back in November on the charges of shooting at an occupied vehicle with enhancements for causing great bodily harm to Medeiros and Townsend.

The Stanislaus County District Attorney's Office says Garcia was sentenced earlier this week to 50-years-to-life in prison, plus six more years and eight months for the enhancements.

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