A man who shot at three people after starting a fire in Sun Valley has been sentenced to 55 years in prison. Miguel Garcia Martinez (dob 11/14/89) will be eligible for parole in 20 years, after he was convicted of Attempted Murder with the Use of a Deadly Weapon and Battery with the Use of a Deadly Weapon Causing Substantial Bodily Harm.
Martinez was arrested by Washoe County Sheriff’s deputies in August of 2024, after they responded to a report of a shooting and a fire. Before police arrived, a couple driving by had seen the smoke from a house on fire, stopped to call 911, when Martinez immediately began shooting at them. A neighbor also came out to see what was happening, and Martinez shot at him as well.
An investigation of the blaze by Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue revealed that the defendant attempted to light the roof of his home on fire; however, when he was unsuccessful, he broke through the rear fence and ignited the bushes behind his home. The fire eventually spread and burned the defendant’s home and backyard shed, a neighboring home, and the open space between the homes. Significant fire damage was observed on Martinez’s home.
One of the victims sustained a gunshot wound to the hand between her thumb and index finger resulting in an open fracture of the proximal phalanx of the right thumb that required surgery and multiple cuts along her right arm.
Deputy District Attorney Brett Dieffenbach represented the State in the case, and the Honorable Lynne Jones presided and imposed the sentence.
