Pasadena, California – Two men have recently been sentenced for their involvement in a fatal shooting that took place outside a taco restaurant in Pasadena in 2021. Bernardo Cortez Velasco, a 23-year-old man from Azusa, was tragically killed in the incident, leaving behind a son. His girlfriend, who was five months pregnant at the time, was also injured during the shooting.
The sentencing for the two individuals, Dante Dejuan Ward from Irvine and Evan Roland Bynum from Los Angeles, took place on April 24 at Burbank Superior Court. Ward received a 22-year prison term, while Bynum was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Both men pleaded no contest to charges related to aiding and abetting an assault with a semiautomatic firearm.
The shooting occurred in a parking lot on East Foothill Boulevard on March 13, 2021. According to authorities, Ward was identified as the driver in the incident, while Bynum acted as an aider and abetter. The prosecution alleged that both individuals were affiliated with the Pasadena Denver Lane Bloods gang.
Despite the dismissal of murder and attempted murder charges against Ward and Bynum, the case shed light on the gang-related nature of the shooting. Pasadena Police Lt. Keith Gomez stated that the suspects mistakenly targeted Velasco, believing him to be a member of a rival gang.
During the incident, Velasco and his girlfriend were at the taco restaurant when they were approached by Ward and Bynum. The shooter, who remains unidentified, fired multiple shots at Velasco, causing fatal injuries. His girlfriend suffered minor injuries during the attack.
The sentencing marked a partial resolution to the tragic event that took the life of Bernardo Cortez Velasco and left his loved ones grieving. The impact of gang-related violence on communities like Pasadena serves as a reminder of the ongoing challenges faced by law enforcement in combatting such criminal activity.