Colbert A. Salmeron apologizes to Brandon Cagle for firing a gun toward him almost six years ago
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – Twenty-five-year-old Colbert A. Salmeron’s eyes eventually welled up as he spoke in court yesterday pleading for leniency, forgiveness and apologizing for firing a gun toward a group of people in downtown Centralia more than five years ago.
“I never wanted to kill him, I did shoot that way, but I didn’t want to hurt them,” Salmeron said as he addressed Lewis County Superior Court Judge James Lawler.
Salmeron said he was young, jealous and had been drinking, but now he’s a father with five children and knows what he did was wrong.
“I want to become a better person, be a better citizen,” he said.
It was August 2006 when at least four individuals were standing next to a pickup truck in a parking lot on North Tower Avenue and Salmeron pulled up and fired six shots striking vehicles, according to law enforcement. No persons were hit.
Salmeron was facing multiple charges of first-degree assault and hiding out in El Salvador when he was captured last year. He pleaded guilty earlier this month to one count of first-degree assault, two counts of third-degree assault and bail jumping.
He was a gang member, but the incident was over a woman with whom he and the target of his anger – Brandon Cagle – both had a relationship with, defense attorney James Dixon said.
In the Chehalis courtroom yesterday, some 15 supporters sat behind the defendant while Cagle was the lone victim who attended the hearing.
Lewis County Deputy Prosecutor Colin Hayes and Dixon had worked out a plea deal in which Salmeron faced a sentence of somewhere between about 14 years and a little more than 19 years in prison.
Dixon asked for the low end of the sentence and Hayes asked for 17 years.
Lawler said he had it in his mind when he came to work he would impose the high end of the range, but aimed closer to the middle when it was all said and done.
“You could have killed a number of people with bullets flying all over the place,” Lawler said.
And you ran, he said.
Lawler noted Salmeron’s family support and said he was satisfied “what you can be is different from what you were.”
And, he sentenced Salmeron to 18 years and four months in prison, with credit for time served.
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
He could’ve killed him and got less.
“A reader”, for that, look no further than the prosecuting attorney for Lewis County. He gives out plea deals like they were candy. just look back at all the cases from here over the past 12 months… and look at the numbers of “deals” that were made. Either he is unable to do the job and should therefore be replaced by someone who can, or he is unwilling to do the job and should therefore be replaced by someone who will.
George, I think that I must be missing something…. I agree with you on so many things, but I can’t help but wonder why Salmeron was given YEARS in prison for NOT hurting anyone when there have been so many cases recently that have been given MONTHS for causing damage or death. I don’t get it….
Total sob story, in my opinion. He only cried like a little baby because he knew he SHOULD have been locked up for a lot longer, and for the simple fact that he got caught. And a great big thanks to our illustrious prosecutor, for being lax on yet another criminal who is an extreme danger to our community.