Judge Sentences Bay Area Man to 150 Years to Life for 2023 Crime Spree Involving Shooting and Multiple Carjackings in Monterey, San Benito and Contra Costa Counties

 

SALINAS, California- Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni announced on May 29, 2025, that the Honorable Jennifer O’Keefe sentenced 37-year-old Tele Matangi of Pittsburg,

to 150 years to life after he had been found guilty by a jury 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, 2025, Judge O’Keefe ruled that Matangi had

suffered two prior “strike” convictions within the meaning of California’s Three Strikes Law.

On September 18, 2023, Matangi drove 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 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 on 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 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 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 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.

After the jury trial, additional evidence proved that the firearm Matangi was arrested with on

September 18 was involved in a drive-by shooting in Antioch, California, on September 17. The

vehicle Matangi abandoned near Gonzales High on September 18 also matched the description of

the suspect vehicle in the September 17 Antioch shooting. Monterey County Sheriff’s Office

Detective Arras Wilson obtained additional evidence showing that Matangi was near the Antioch

shooting just 18 minutes before it occurred, despite Matangi’s trial testimony that he was in San

Francisco at that time.

Based on Matangi’s long criminal career as a violent recidivist, Judge O’Keefe sentenced Matangi to

the maximum possible punishment of 150 years to life.