NORTHERN CALIFORNIA — On Thursday, a Napa County Superior Court jury convicted a man of a drive-by slaying of a teenager at a Safeway in American Canyon.
The jury convicted Christopher “Roly” Young of first-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 16, 2020, slaying of 18-year-old Nathan Gabriel Garza.
The jury’s decision came after a lengthy trial in which Napa County Deputy District Attorney Diane Knoles and Chief Deputy District Attorney Taryn Hunter presented overwhelming evidence demonstrating that Mr. Young was the murderer.
In addition to first-degree murder charges, Young, age 26, was convicted of shooting from a motor vehicle, felon in possession of a firearm, felon in possession of ammunition, and giving false information to a police officer.
The jury found true 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 charge of first-degree murder requires that the jury find the murder be willful, deliberate and premeditated.
“The jury reached the right result for Nathan’s family and for Napa. We thank them for ensuring justice,” said Chief Deputy District Attorney Taryn Hunter.
“This defendant should never have been out of custody and had the opportunity to senselessly murder Nathan,” said Deputy District Attorney Diane Knoles. “He was on probation for felony assault from Alameda County and had pending carjacking and robbery charges there. The criminal justice system needs to protect community members from persons with demonstrated violence.”
With the conclusion of the trial, the Napa County District Attorney’s Office next enters the sentencing phase of the criminal court process. Young faces a penalty of life without the possibility of parole in state prison.
Judge Elia Ortiz, who oversaw the trial, set Young’s sentencing hearing for June 9 at 8:30 a.m., in Department 5 of the Napa County Superior Court.
The murder took place in the parking lot of Safeway in American Canyon, where Fairfield resident and recent Rodriguez High School graduate Nathan Garza worked.
Evidence presented during the trial proved Young drove to Safeway on the morning of Aug. 16, 2020, from an Airbnb home located on Los Altos Place in American Canyon, brandished a handgun and fired multiple shots from the driver’s side of his vehicle, hitting Garza twice in the back and killing him instantly.
After the killing, Young left the Safeway parking lot at a high rate of speed and abandoned the Cadillac sedan he was driving nearby on Cattail Drive, where he began hopping fences and entering the backyards of neighborhood homes to escape law enforcement.
He was subsequently captured by Napa County Sheriff’s Office deputies within the hour and charged with the murder and the other crimes he was convicted of on Thursday.
The Napa County District Attorney’s Office allocated significant time and resources into securing a guilty verdict against Young in accordance with its mission to investigate and prosecute criminal and civil cases with integrity and fairness, to treat crime victims and witnesses with the highest level of respect and dignity, and to take a proactive role in crime prevention through community awareness and education.
Napa County District Attorney Allison Haley thanked the Napa County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding investigation led by Detective Shamus Stafford, and her staff, including lead District Attorney Investigator Rachel Cardin, Deputy District Attorney Diane Knoles and Chief Deputy District Attorney Taryn Hunter.