Inset left: Antonio Saldana (Fresno County District Attorney’s Office). Inset right: Lisa Saldana (GoFundMe). Background: The police response to the fatal shooting committed by Antonio that took Lisa’s life in Clovis, Calif. (KFSN).
A California man will spend just shy of two decades behind bars for killing the mother of his children and wounding her then-boyfriend in a jealousy-fueled instance of gun violence several years ago.
In October, Antonio Saldana Jr., 41, agreed to a plea deal with prosecutors from the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office.
On Thursday, after formally pleading guilty, the defendant was sentenced to 18 years to life in the California Department of Corrections by Fresno County Superior Court Judge William Terrence.
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In September 2021, Saldana shot and killed his estranged wife, Lisa Saldana, 33, in the backyard of their residence in Clovis – a large suburb of Fresno. The man’s culpability for the shooting was never in doubt but the defense disputed what transpired before the shooting, according to a courtroom report by Fresno-based ABC affiliate KFSN.
On the night in question, the couple’s five children were at home. The defendant was originally facing five child abuse and endangerment charges over that turn of events; however, those charges were eventually dismissed due to evidentiary issues.
During the sentencing hearing, Antonio Saldana accepted his fate in a slumped-over stance while one of his feet shook, according to KFSN. And all the while, he was upbraided by various individuals.
“Our community lost a very good mother, a very good daughter, they lost a medical professional,” the judge said. “Our community lost a friend.”
Criticism ran deeper when the defendant’s daughter spoke up.
“You took away the only good parent your children had,” the 18-year-old said. “Every single one of his children hates him. Every single one of us finds you and your actions unforgivable and disgusting. He’s a shell of a man and a horrible excuse for a human being. No one who loves their children takes away their mother’s life.”
The since-condemned man’s daughter continued on to say: “I hope that you all hear and recognize how much sadness and pain this man has caused my family. We all miss my mom, and nothing can bring her back.”
After contesting his charges for years, and days away from the beginning of his jury trial, Antonio Saldana agreed to plead guilty to one count each of murder and attempted murder.
And, though the child abuse charges were dropped, the court took the proximity of the children into account when issuing the sentence.
“This court does note that this is a case of domestic violence,” Terrence said, according to a courtroom report by Fresno-based NBC affiliate KSEE. “This is a case where all five children were present at the house when this incident took place.”
In addition to his time in state prison, Antonio Saldana is barred from seeing any of his children for at least the next three years.
And, while the sentence was agreed upon, some members of the victim’s family wanted the court to deviate from the agreement.
“I ran into the house, although I was not supposed to, and I saw my daughter. She was already dead, lying on the floor,” Lisa Saldana’s mother said. “Please, I implore you. Give him more time.”
A GoFundMe for the victim’s children – started by one of the children themselves – is still active and accepting donations.
