California man sentenced to prison

A California man was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to shooting at his ex-stepfather.

Chad Thomas Ricci, 36, could have received up to 15 years in jail for the crime of shooting a firearm from a vehicle. He also pleaded guilty on Monday to reckless endangerment, a gross misdemeanor.

District Judge Michael Gibbons sentenced Ricci to 2-5 years in prison for the shooting and one year in jail for the misdemeanor. Ricci will receive credit for 90 days he has already spent in jail. When released, he must stay away from the victim and not own or possess a firearm.

Ricci was arrested March 14 after he came to Robert McElhaney's home, attempted to take a mailbox from the yard and had a verbal exchange with McElhaney. McElhaney testified that he told Ricci he was calling the police, but was only standing in the front yard with the phone when Ricci put the mailbox in his trunk, turned his car around and fired the gun at him through the window.

Ricci apologized in court to McElhaney and said "it was a cowardly thing to do."