A Fresno man who shot his brother-in-law during a domestic dispute in 2019 was sentenced to 95 years to life in prison, a judge ruled Tuesday.
Erik Ordonez, 36, was found guilty of murdering Jose Duran Jr., 29, as he was trying to help his sister leave an abusive relationship.
Police said Duran’s sister, Isabel Duran, had called her brother and her father on April 7, 2019 to help her move out of the home on Fairmont Avenue that she shared with Ordonez and their two daughters.
Ordonez became enraged she was leaving. He grabbed a gun from inside the home and began pointing it at his estranged wife. Jose Duran Jr. stepped in front of his sister as Ordonez squeezed the trigger.
The bullet struck him in the neck, and he died after being taken to the hospital. Ordonez fled but was captured a short time later.
Speaking in court Tuesday, Isabel Duran cried as she read her victim impact statement. She praised her brother for his self-less act while also mourning his death and the effect it’s had on their family.
“He saved me,” she said. “That kind of love I will never have in my life, someone who loves you that much that they give their life up. He was a young man who had a good life and he gave it up for me.”
Evangelina Duran, Isabel’s sister, said her brother’s death has been difficult for everyone, especially her father.
“Jose’s death broke my father,” she said. “No man should ever have to witness the split second where he is about to lose one or more of his children.”
Ordonez spoke briefly during the hearing.
“I never meant for anyone to get hurt,” he said. “I also want to apologize to the Duran family in hopes that one day they can forgive me. And I also want to apologize to my family for dragging them into these court proceedings and for taking them on this emotional roller coaster ride.”
Ordonez’s attorney Elizabeth Morgan asked Judge Timothy Kams to consider dropping one of the defendant’s prior strikes to reduce his overall sentence.
Senior Deputy District Attorney Elana Smith opposed the request and Kams denied it.
Kams sentenced Ordonez to 45 years to life plus 50 years to life. Along with murder, he was also found guilty of two counts of assault with a firearm and one count of possession of a firearm by a felon. Sentencing enhancements were also applied for using a gun to commit the murder, plus his prior strike.
Kams said it was ironic that one of the educational certificates Ordonez earned in jail was for attending a class that taught the “Christian way” in marriage.
“If you had acted in a Christian way when your wife wanted to leave you, we wouldn’t be here,” Kams said.