SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — Two men were sentenced in federal court Monday for assaulting and stabbing a fellow inmate at a downtown San Diego jail last year, according to a news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Jonathan Barba, 32, of Victorville, California and Abraham Gomez-Rodriguez, 26, of Imperial Beach, were sentenced to 51 months and 37 months in prison, respectively.
Barba, Gomez-Rodriguez and the victim were all inmates at the Metropolitan Correction Center, according to the attorney’s office.
On March 27, 2024, Barba stabbed the victim repeatedly from behind with a metal shank while Gomez-Rodriguez held him in place.
When the victim escaped, Gomez-Rodriguez chased after him and struck him multiple times, authorities stated.
According to the release, the victim was hospitalized and had stab wounds in his abdomen, neck, head and close to an eye.
Barba and Gomez-Rodriguez told the victim they assaulted him to please another inmate named “Alex,” who was a “shot caller” or person who makes decisions for the Mexican Mafia, authorities said.
The attorney’s office stated that Barba’s criminal history included instances of domestic violence and drug importation. At the time of the stabbing, he was serving a 37-month sentence for importing methamphetamine and fentanyl into California in 2022.
Gomez-Rodriguez was convicted in 2022 for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin in California, according to authorities. He was serving a 26-month sentence.
