A man who struck and injured a federal officer with a car while fleeing from law enforcement during an attempted immigration arrest in National City was sentenced Friday to nearly three years in prison.
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Roberto Carlos Galeana-Guatemala, 21, fled from members of a Homeland Security Task Force who attempted to arrest him around 4:30 a.m. Nov. 12.
A federal complaint states that after his car was stopped by the agents, Galeana-Guatemala reversed away from them and, during his escape, “made a distinct movement” toward a group of agents, striking one of them in the process.
The agent sustained contusions and a possible sternum fracture, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said at the time of the incident.
Galeana-Guatemala was able to get away but was spotted later that day in City Heights, at which point he ran from officers and was arrested.
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He pleaded guilty earlier this year to federal charges including assault on a federal officer.
Galeana-Guatemala’s defense attorney, Shaun Sullivan, said his client did not intend to hurt anyone during his flight.
Sullivan said Galeana-Guatemala’s reaction to the officers stemmed in part from a “terrifying armed carjacking” years back in which he was cornered by a group of men and shot, with circumstances that “eerily parallel” what occurred in National City.
While the agents approached Galeana-Guatemala in an unmarked vehicle, U.S. District Judge Cathy Bencivengo ruled that Galeana-Guatemala was aware the agents were law enforcement when he fled, as they had emergency lights on the vehicle and wore badges and patches identifying them as law enforcement.
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Bencivengo sentenced Galeana-Guatemala to 33 months in custody.
