SAN DIEGO (CNS) - A man charged with shooting a San Diego police officer in the arm during a foot pursuit in City Heights was convicted today of attempted murder and other charges.
J.C. Blake Sartor, 32, was found guilty by a San Diego jury of all eight counts he faced, including attempted murder and assault with a semi-automatic firearm in connection with the June 8, 2023, shooting of SDPD Officer James Romero.
Jurors also deliberated for just over a day before finding Sarto guilty of charges related to firing another gunshot at an apartment, driving two stolen vehicles, possessing methamphetamine, and possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon.
A sentencing date was not set following Thursday afternoon's verdict, as jurors will be called back on Friday for another phase of the trial dealing with "aggravating factors" such as prior convictions or using a weapon during the crime, which could lead to a substantially increased sentence.
After jurors left the courthouse, defense attorney Loyst Fletcher told reporters, "Obviously, it wasn't the result we were looking for," and reiterated his theory at trial that the evidence didn't prove his client was the shooter.
"There were several pieces of evidence that we believe did not complete the puzzle to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Obviously, the jury felt otherwise and we accept the result," Fletcher said.
Deputy District Attorney Clay Biddle said after the verdict, "Our peace officers have a difficult and dangerous job, and the verdict in this case reflects appreciation for that, given the evidence. When a police officer is assaulted in any way in this county -- especially in the most egregious way, being shot at and nearly killed -- they will be dealt with accordingly under the law."
Prosecutors say Romero was pursuing a stolen pickup truck, then was shot after Sartor abandoned the vehicle, took off running down a narrow alley, then turned and fired upon the lawman. The officer was hit by one bullet in his arm, while a second shot struck an apartment building. Romero did not have his firearm drawn when he was shot, according to prosecutors.
During the trial, Romero identified Sartor as the man who shot him. He also testified about the impact of the injuries he sustained, including lingering pain and nightmares that persisted for months.
Sartor was arrested six days later and was found with a bag containing an unserialized "ghost gun" that both the prosecution and defense agreed in closing arguments was the weapon used to shoot Romero. But Fletcher said the gun was not tested for the presence of Sartor's DNA or fingerprints.
The defense attorney also said Romero's body-worn camera footage did not capture the gunman, nor did other cameras in the neighborhood where the shooting occurred. The clothing description of the suspect that Romero provided fellow officers didn't match a description provided by a witness who spotted the shooter open fire, then run into an idling car that sped him away from the shooting scene, according to Fletcher.
Biddle said that the totality of the evidence was "overwhelming and abundant" in pointing to Sartor as the shooter, including his fingerprints and DNA inside the stolen truck, cell phone location data placing him in the area of the shooting, and incriminating statements he made to an informant in county jail.
Copyright 2025, City News Service, Inc.
