A Battle Ground man was sentenced earlier this month to 10 years in prison for a 2015 drive-by shooting .

Juventino Valencia Mendoza, 55, pleaded guilty Oct. 15 to first-degree assault and a domestic violence court order violation.

Valencia Mendoza had been at large for nearly nine years before being arrested in February 2024. He had prior assault and domestic violence convictions, and he had previously been deported but returned to the United States, according to the prosecution.

Vancouver police responded March 9, 2015, to reports of a drive-by shooting near Northeast Andresen Road and East 18th Street.

The victim, identified in court records as Jamie Romero Meraz, said he was driving his Ford F-150 pickup when Valencia Mendoza shot at him from a Ford Focus. Romero Meraz’s girlfrie

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