(KRON) — A man arrested in the fatal shooting of an 18-year-old Fairfield man at a Safeway in American Canyon has been convicted of first-degree murder, the Napa County District Attorney announced Thursday. Christopher “Roly” Young was charged in the shooting death of Nathan Gabriel Garza in August of 2020.
A Napa jury reached the decision after a lengthy trial, the DA said. In addition to first-degree murder, Young was convicted of:
- Shooting from a motor vehicle
- Felon in possession of a firearm
- Felon in possession of ammunition
- Giving false information to a police officer
The jury also found special circumstances of personally and intentionally discharging a firearm, firing a weapon from a vehicle with the intent to inflict death and lying in wait, the DA said. A first-degree murder charge requires that the jury find the murder to be willful, deliberate and premeditated.
The shooting occurred on August 16, 2020. Detectives with the Napa County Sheriff’s Office and American Canyon Police Department responded just after 12 p.m. In the trial, evidence stated that Young drove to Safeway, brandished a handgun and fired multiple shots from the driver’s side of his vehicle. Garza was hit twice in the back and died instantly.
Young took off at a high rate of speed in a Cadillac sedan, the DA said. He later abandoned the car and began hopping backyard fences of nearby homes to escape law enforcement. He was captured and arrested by Napa County Sheriff’s deputies within the hour and charged with murder.
“The jury reached the right result for Nathan’s family and Napa,” said Napa County Chief Deputy DA Taryn Hunter. “We thank them for ensuring justice.”
