Man pleads guilty in drive-by shooting

A Carson City man accused in a July 29 drive-by shooting has pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.

Gabriel "Bobby" Munoz, 28, who was a shooting victim last year, agreed to the plea Friday in exchange for the District Attorney's Office dropping three felony counts of attempted murder, battery with a deadly weapon and shooting a firearm from an occupied vehicle.

A sentencing date was not set.

According to authorities, the shooting occurred at 12:30 a.m. as Salvador Maldonado, 22, and Jose Escobar, 21, were traveling east on Highway 50 near Mills Park. They saw Munoz in a Ford Bronco next to them flashing "gang signs."

Maldonado turned onto Saliman Road and was followed by the Bronco, he told police.

When he came to a stop at Saliman Road and Robinson Street, the Bronco pulled up beside them, and Munoz opened fire with five shots, one of which struck Maldonado in the hand. He was treated by paramedics for the injury. Escobar suffered a grazing gunshot wound to his back, according to authorities.

Munoz was shot in the back and thigh after a fight April 30, 2001, with Rigoberto Vega-Aguilar on Airport Road.

Munoz had five operations to repair his leg wounds. At one point, doctors feared they would have to amputate the leg.

Vega-Aquilar was charged with attempted murder, but when Munoz failed to show up at the preliminary hearing, the District Attorney's Office was forced to reduce the charges.

Vega-Aguilar agreed to plead guilty to gross misdemeanor conspiracy to commit battery with a deadly weapon, serve one year in jail and pay restitution for Munoz's medical bills.