SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on March 18
that on March 14, 2025, a jury found 37-year-old Tele Matangi of Pittsburg, guilty of multiple charges
arising from a daylong crime spree in September of 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, 2025, Judge Jennifer
O’Keefe ruled that Matangi had suffered 2 prior “strike” convictions within the meaning of
California’s Three Strikes Law.
On September 18, 2023, Matangi was driving in a Gonzales High School Parking lot when he crashed
through a locked gate near the stadium, damaging it and he abandoned his vehicle near the area of
Gonzales High. Matangi 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.
Approximately 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 a 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. Matangi 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 County deputy followed Matangi on Carpenteria Rd., 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, 2025. Due to his prior strike convictions, Matangi
faces a possible sentence of more than 100 years to life in prison.
The case was primarily investigated by Monterey County Sheriff’s Office Detective Arras Wilson.
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