Anthony Ruben Perez has been sentenced to 37 years in state prison for his role in a 2020 exchange of gunfire on Santa Fe Avenue in Merced that left two men dead, according to the Merced County District Attorney’s Office.

Perez, who fled the state after the shooting and remained on the run for four years, was arrested in Texas in 2024. He later entered no‑contest pleas to manslaughter and assault with a firearm in the death of Armando Partida‑Sanchez, 32, of Livingston. A second victim, Jeffrey Lee Crawford, 37, of Winton, was also killed in the gunfire.

Partida‑Sanchez’s family spoke at sentencing, saying in part, “Armando’s life mattered… His kindness, generosity, and love will never be forgotten.”

A second suspect, Manuel Martinez, was arrested in 2021 for his involvement in the shooting and sentenced to 13 years in 2025.

The case was investigated by the Merced Police Department and prosecuted by Deputy District Attorney Natalia Enero.