GONZALES — On March 14, a jury found Tele Matangi, 37, of Pittsburg, guilty of multiple charges arising from a daylong crime spree in September 2023.
Matangi was convicted of carjacking, attempted carjacking, residential burglary, first-degree robbery, shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, being a violent felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a controlled substance with a firearm, and hit and run. The jury also found true that Matangi personally used a firearm during the commission of many of these offenses.
On March 18, Judge Jennifer O’Keefe ruled that Matangi had suffered two prior “strike” convictions within the meaning of California’s Three Strikes Law.
On Sept. 18, 2023, Matangi was driving in the Gonzales High parking lot when he crashed through a locked gate near the stadium, damaging it. He abandoned his vehicle near the area of the school and then carjacked a nearby driver at gunpoint, driving the stolen vehicle northbound to Highway 156 near its intersection with Highway 101 in the Prunedale area. About 40 minutes later, Matangi caused a collision by turning into oncoming traffic from Highway 101 southbound traffic’s off-ramp into the westbound lanes of Highway 156.
After crashing into a vehicle on Highway 156, Matangi exited the stolen vehicle and fired multiple shots at a Good Samaritan who stopped near the collision site to help everyone involved. One of Matangi’s shots struck the Good Samaritan’s car. Matangi then fled on foot to the nearby Park and Ride parking lot where he approached a man sitting in his vehicle. Matangi pointed a firearm at the man and attempted to carjack him, but he could not get the vehicle to start.
Matangi then fled on foot across the street and broke into a home by ripping the window screen and climbing through the window. Once inside, Matangi pointed his firearm at a resident of the home and stole the resident’s car keys at gunpoint. He then fled with the vehicle into the San Benito County portion of Aromas.
While in Aromas, Matangi abandoned the vehicle and stole a golf cart. He then abandoned the golf cart at a nearby property and hid in a separate Aromas resident’s storage unit. The homeowners found Matangi hiding in their storage unit and told him to leave. Soon after, a San Benito County Sheriff’s deputy contacted Matangi while Matangi was walking southbound on Carpenteria Road. Soon after the contact, while the San Benito deputy followed Matangi on Carpenteria Road, Matangi brandished a firearm at the deputy. Monterey County Sheriff’s deputies responded shortly thereafter and assisted the San Benito deputy in arresting Matangi.
At the time of his arrest, Matangi was in possession of a .40-caliber semiautomatic firearm, multiple magazines with live ammunition, a small baggie of methamphetamine, and the keys to the last stolen car. Due to prior violent felony convictions for robbery and carjacking, he was prohibited from possessing firearms.
Judge O’Keefe will sentence Matangi on May 29. Due to his prior strike convictions, Matangi faces a possible sentence of more than 100 years to life in prison.
