A Washington man was sentenced to more than 55 years in prison on Friday for a random and violent shooting that left a local family traumatized and wounded in Lakewood.
Francisco Z. Cepeda Baldiva, 34, was convicted of four counts of first-degree assault for opening fire on a car occupied by four people — including a 72-year-old woman — as they returned home from a coastal vacation. None of the victims had any connection to Cepeda Baldiva.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Jennifer Andrews delivered the sentence and condemned the nature of the attack, telling the court that the act sent a disturbing message to the public.
“Indiscriminately firing into a car full of people is horrifying,” Andrews said. “That says to our society that you aren’t safe anywhere.”
Prosecutors said the shooting appeared to stem from a case of mistaken identity. Cepeda Baldiva had reportedly been in a dispute with another couple over a parking space at the apartment complex, and when he saw the victims pull up in a similar black SUV, he opened fire.
Ashley Weiland, who was sitting in the passenger seat during the July 7, 2024, incident, said the encounter transformed what should have been a peaceful afternoon into something out of a war zone.
“I’m always looking over my shoulder,” Weiland told the court. “Loud sounds make my heart race. I avoid crowds. I avoid joy.”
According to court records, the family had just returned from a fishing trip in Westport when they were ambushed in their Jeep Compass. A masked man — later identified as Cepeda Baldiva — ran toward them and opened fire.
The driver, Rashard Cannon, was shot in the shoulder. Weiland’s grandmother was hit in the face with flying glass as the rear window shattered. She was bleeding heavily and feared she’d been shot.
“I thought I was about to watch her die,” Weiland said.
Cannon reversed the vehicle to escape, and Weiland’s brother, Sergio Esquivel, fired back from the rear passenger seat in self-defense. By the time police arrived, Cepeda Baldiva had fled with three others. The injured family members transported themselves to St. Joseph Medical Center.
Surveillance footage later showed the group regrouping in an alcove near the apartment. One man, different from Cepeda Baldiva, was seen pulling what appeared to be a high-capacity rifle from a guitar case — though prosecutors said the weapon seemed to malfunction.
The three individuals with Cepeda Baldiva have not been charged in connection with the shooting.
Cepeda Baldiva was arrested two months later, in September 2024. During his trial in June, jurors heard four days of testimony and deliberated for about 10 hours before finding him guilty of all charges, including first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
Prosecutor Sunni Ko argued that Cepeda Baldiva posed a continuing threat to public safety. In court filings, she noted he had previously been convicted of second-degree assault for chasing and shooting at a man in 2017 — an incident that left an innocent woman injured as she walked through a parking lot with her child. Cepeda Baldiva served over four years in prison for that case.
Ko urged the court to impose consecutive sentences for the new convictions, which, with firearm enhancements, would have added up to over 77 years.
“This person is a danger to the community,” Ko said. “The court should pause before deciding to let this defendant out a single day earlier than the law requires.”
But defense attorney Eric Trujillo pushed back, arguing that nearly 80 years was excessive. He asked for 51 and a half years, which Judge Andrews ultimately agreed to modify slightly upward to 55 years and four months.
“The court has to acknowledge that 77 years is essentially a life sentence,” Andrews said. “That exceeds the natural lifespan of most people.”
Cepeda Baldiva spoke briefly in court, denying the charges and claiming he was the victim of a biased system.
“This case is a tragedy for me,” he said. “I’m just a lost soul in the government’s hands.”
He also suggested that his appearance and skin color influenced the outcome.
After sentencing, Weiland and her family voiced frustration that the judge didn’t issue a separate sentence for each individual assault conviction. Esquivel told The News Tribune he hoped Cepeda Baldiva wouldn’t be released until he was too old to harm anyone else.
They were also taken aback by Cepeda Baldiva’s refusal to take responsibility.
“Be man enough to acknowledge it,” Weiland said. “Nobody died, thankfully — but they could have.”
