DA: Man sentenced to 34 years to life for 2015 murder of Fresno man

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A man was sentenced on Wednesday to 34 years to life in prison for the murder of a Fresno man more than seven years ago, the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office said.

Madera resident 28-year-old Lavale Shawn Vean Jr. was sentenced to 34 years to life in state prison for the murder of Roberto Ramos on Oct. 2, 2017.

The sentence comes after he entered a guilty plea on April 29 to second-degree murder following several procedural delays, and admitted to using a firearm and to having a prior strike conviction from a robbery in 2015.

The DA reports that Vean and a co-participant arrived at Ramos’ home in Fresno at around 1 p.m. that day, armed with firearms. The men opened fire after seeing three victims in the garage and front yard, striking them. The pair later fled the scene.

Ramos died, while the other two victims survived with non-life-threatening wounds.

Investigators said there had been a prior altercation between Vean and one of the victims back in 2015. Months after the incident, Madera officers attempted a traffic stop on Vean on Oct. 22, 2017, but he evaded law enforcement and abandoned his vehicle to flee on foot.

On Feb. 10, 2018, the Fresno Police Department was notified of Vean’s apprehension in Texas. He was extradited back to Fresno County to face charges.

The DA’s office says Vean was 20 years old at the time of the murder; therefore, he qualified as a youthful offender under California law and may be eligible for a Youthful Offender Parole Hearing after serving 25 years.

However, the DA’s office adds that eligibility does not guarantee parole, and any release decision will be made by the Board of Parole Hearings after a comprehensive review.