Parole granted for Patterson man who attempted to shoot deputies in 1999 case
A man who attempted to shoot Stanislaus County sheriff’s deputies after his wife accused him of domestic violence in 1999 was found suitable for parole at a March 1 hearing, the county District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.
Isabello Joe Rivera, 66, formerly of Patterson, was sentenced in 2002 to 25 years to life in prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Rivera’s spouse was crying as she approached a deputy around 9 p.m. Oct. 18, 1999. She said her husband pushed her and she wanted him out of the home.
Deputies entered the home and told Rivera to lie on the ground, but he reached for a Colt .45 tucked into the waist of his pants.
The deputies grabbed Rivera to keep him from reaching the weapon. He fought against them, broke free and again tried to grab the gun.
Four deputies were finally able to handcuff Rivera and secure the gun, which contained a round in the chamber and six more rounds in the magazine.
Rivera also had a $250,000 warrant out for his arrest at the time.
During his 2002 plea, Rivera also admitted to having prior felony convictions for second-degree murder in 1977 and robbery in 1991, which played a role in his sentence length under California’s “Three Strikes” law.
Recent changes to that law, specifically the Public Safety and Rehabilitation Act of 2016, made him eligible for early release
Special Prosecutor Holly MacKinnon argued during this month’s parole hearing that Rivera should not be released on parole. She said he put his spouse and deputies in “grave danger” during the 1999 incident. He also had six prior prison commitments and did not have enough participation in programming for substance abuse and domestic violence.
However, the State Board of Parole Hearings found Rivera was not an unreasonable risk to public safety.
The board cited Rivera’s participation in substance abuse, AA/NA, vocational and self-help programs over the past six months. He also had only one rule violation since 2007 and presented a plan for transitional housing, family support and employment following a potential release.
“The Board gave great weight to the fact that Rivera had expressed sufficient remorse and insight into the causes of his criminal behavior,” according to the press release.
This was Rivera’s first parole hearing.
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 8:23 PM.
