Two inmates were sentenced on March 17 for their involvement in a violent stabbing at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in San Diego. Jonathan Barba, 32, of Victorville, was sentenced to 51 months in prison, while Abraham Gomez-Rodriguez, 26, of Imperial Beach, received 37 months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California reported.
The attack, which took place on March 27, 2024, saw Barba stab the victim multiple times with a metal shank while Gomez-Rodriguez held the victim’s arms. The victim sustained multiple stab wounds to his abdomen, neck, head, and near his eye, resulting in severe lacerations and blood loss.
Both Barba and Gomez-Rodriguez admitted to carrying out the attack under the orders of an inmate named “Alex,” a shot caller for the Mexican Mafia, in an attempt to gain favor. At the time of the stabbing, Barba was serving a 37-month sentence for drug trafficking, with prior convictions for domestic violence and drug importation. Gomez-Rodriguez was serving a 26-month sentence for drug-related offenses.
The court ordered their new sentences to be served consecutively with their existing prison terms.
