Man sentenced to life in prison for East Hall gang shooting

GAINESVILLE - A life sentence was handed down in Hall County Superior Court last week to a man involved a gang-related shooting two years ago.

Hall County District Attorney Lee Darraugh said Judge Bonnie Oliver handed down the sentence to Robert Jacob Montez, who pleaded guilty to murder and aggravated assault charges.

Authorities said Montez is a known member of the street gang SUR 13. They said he fired shots at members of a rival gang La Onda at the intersection of Harmony Church Road and Thousand Oaks Drive in August 2009. One of the victims, 16-year-old Juan Gomez of Gainesville, was killed by the gunfire.

Darragh said Montez was also sentenced to concurrent terms for aggravated assault charges stemming from gunshot wounds sustained by three other victims.

Two other members of SUR 13 who were with Montez at the time of the shooting, Miguel Garcia and Jesus Rodriguez Martinez, were also charged in the case.