Thursday, March 24, 2011

Ex-con convicted of 2008 carnival shootings

An ex-con who opened fire at a Granada Hills church carnival in May 2008, wounding the mother of his son and two volunteers, was convicted Thursday, officials said.

Fernando Diaz, 36, was found guilty of two counts each of attempted murder and assault with a firearm and one count of being a felon with a firearm, according to the Los Angeles County District Attorney's Office.

The former North Hollywood Boyz gang member was on parole for assault with a deadly weapon when he walked into his son's school fundraising festival at St. John Baptist de la Salle Church with a .22-caliber semiautomatic rifle tucked in a tennis bag.

After kissing his son, Diaz fired several rounds at his ex-girlfriend, as she was setting up a carnival booth. Diaz and the woman were embroiled in a child custody dispute.

The woman was hit in the elbow, a man was shot in the chest and another person was struck in the leg.

Five parents, including off-duty Burbank and Los Angeles police officers, tackled, disarmed and held him until police arrived.

Diaz had a history of domestic disputes with his ex-girlfriend and with officials at the church, police said. The girlfriend had filed a restraining order against him that banned him from church property.

Diaz was acquitted of one count of attempted murder, but the jury found true allegations of great bodily injury and personal use of a firearm.

He faces multiple life sentences when he returns

to court for sentencing on May 16.

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