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A 44-year-old woman was shot dead after attempting to rescue her husband from an armed confrontation sparked by a stolen motorcycle.
Ruth Ann Cummings was inside her SUV when gunman Luis Villachana opened fire outside a home in Oildale, California.
She was hit by the gunfire and later died from her injuries.
51-year-old Villachana was found guilty on Friday of first-degree murder over the shooting, which occurred in August of 2024.
He was also convicted of burglary and attempted murder.
Villachana now faces up to 50 years to life in prison, plus another 24 years and four months. He’s due to be sentenced on August 14, New York Post reports.
According to prosecutors, the furore began on the morning of August 29, 2024, when Villachana discovered that his motorcycle had been stolen from his home.
Instead of contacting police, the convicted felon enlisted the assistance of two other people to help him find it.
Their search led them to a house in Oildale, where Villachana discovered the missing motorcycle inside the garage. He then entered the property and confronted one of the roommates who lived at the property.
Villachana loudly demanded to know who had stolen his bike. When the roommate didn’t answer, Villachana assaulted him, according to prosecutors.
Another roommate was contacted and spoke to his parents about the confrontation. His father went to the house and attempted to calm the situation.
Villachana instead fired a gun towards the man’s feet, prosecutors said. The man then reportedly assaulted Villachana as the confrontation escalated.
The roommate’s father then fled from the house, but Villachana fired at him again. This time he was struck and injured.
After learning of the situation, Ruth Ann Cummings drove to the property in an SUV in an attempt to rescue her husband.
Prosecutors said that Villachana proceeded to threatened to kill Cummings, her husband and their daughter.
‘I’m gonna smoke all you guys,’ Villachana said before opening fire, according to court papers. His shots struck the SUV and fatally wounded Cummings.
Villachana fled following the shooting and remained at large for more than a week. He was eventually arrested in Shafter.
A jury convicted him of Cummings’ murder following a trial in Kern County. The verdict also covered the attack on her husband and Villachana’s entry into the house.
Kern County District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer said: ‘Villachana’s actions were avoidable and entirely unjustified.’
Villachana will return to court next month to learn how long he will spend in prison.
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