SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The man convicted of murder in connection to an April 2021 shooting spree in San Diego's Gaslamp Quarter has been sentenced to life in prison.
Travis Sarreshteh, 34, was found guilty during a jury trial on Sept. 14, 2022, on charges of premeditated murder, premeditated attempted murder and assault with a firearm. The district attorney says he has been sentenced to 175 years in prison, plus four life terms, which was the maximum penalty.
Sarreshteh shot and killed a parking valet outside a hotel on J Street around 10:30 p.m. on April 22, 2021. He then proceeded to walk several blocks and shot three tourists and another San Diego resident.
Sarreshteh's shooting spree was stopped thanks to two good Samaritans who tackled and held him until police officers arrived to arrest him.
District Attorney Summer Stephan commended those people for their acts of bravery.
“This defendant had no regard for life when he ruthlessly killed an innocent young man who was simply performing his work, before going on the hunt for additional victims,” Stephan said. “I’m grateful for the heroic actions of bystanders, which likely averted even more loss of life, and also for the swift action and thorough investigation by San Diego Police Department, and the dedicated work of the DA prosecution team, all resulting in a just jury verdict and sentence in this case.”
According to the DA's office, a recent breakup with his girlfriend led up to Sarreshteh committing the shooting. He made a series of Instagram posts, one of which said it was "the last day for people to make amends" with him. Sarreshteh went to his girlfriend's home with a ghost gun, a type of untraceable firearm, while dressed in all black and wearing a mask.
After the two argued, Sarreshteh went to the nearby Pendry Hotel and shot Justice Boldin, the valet. Sarreshteh shot Boldin several more times when he was on the ground, then he walked up to a group of four tourists on Fifth Avenue and demanded they salute him, the press release says.
Sarreshteh walked through the group and accused them of laughing at him. The young men ignored him and continued to walk away, then Sarreshteh fired at their backs, injuring three of them. A San Diego man who was half a block away was also injured. He had been on his way to a local music venue to see his son perform.
The good Samaritans confronted Sarreshteh after the second shooting, and they kept him down until police arrived to arrest him.
In court Thursday, family and friends of Boldin, along with survivors, spoke and asked for the maximum sentence.
"You're a monster. You're also a thief … You robbed us of someone we loved, and you robbed my cousin of every chance of a future he dreamed of ... No other family deserves to go through the pain and the suffering that my family has had to endure for almost two years, because of this monster's heinous act of hate. That's why I'm asking he be locked him away for the rest of his miserable life," said Hannah Boldin, Boldin's cousin.
"No purpose for him here in this outside world." said Vincent Gazanni, who survived a gunshot to the chest.
Although Sarreshteh received the max penalty in this case, he is still eligible for elder parole after 20 years, when he's over the age of 50. He's eligible for this elderly parole under California state law because he didn't have a previous strike on his record.
The prosecutor says she's hopeful the seriousness of the offenses mean he won't receive parole down the line, but that future decision will be up to a parole board.
