Man convicted in two shootings, 10 minutes apart, outside west Modesto market

A Modesto man has been convicted of shooting at three people, hitting one, outside a west Modesto market in 2021.

Anthony Camargo, 37, fired at people in two incidents 10 minutes apart outside the A&M Gas Mini Mart on Maze Boulevard and Martin Luther King Drive on Sept. 4, 2021, according to prosecutor Vita Palazuelos.

He fired at Chance Fidler outside the market for unknown reasons, according to Palazuelos, then returned 10 minutes later.

Fidler was sitting outside the market when Camargo walked up and kicked him, according to Palazuelos. Fidler’s friend told Camargo to leave him alone, which “upsets the defendant and, after walking out of the surveillance (video) view, he starts shooting at that individual,” she said.

Fidler’s friend was not injured but a man behind him, unrelated to the incident, was hit in the leg.

That man was taken to a hospital with serious injuries but survived, according to the release.

During a jury trial in May, Camargo’s public defender Komnith Moth argued that his client was not the shooter.

Camargo also denied being involved in the shooting when interviewed by detectives following his arrest last year.

“After being confronted with surveillance footage of him being at the scene of the crime, Camargo told Detective (Joshua) Grant, ‘Prove it,’” according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.

During the trial, an eyewitness, law enforcement and expert witnesses testified, and evidence including surveillance video from the market was presented. In the video, Camargo is seen coming and going from the store but is not in view during either shooting.

An expert witness testified that the type of gun used, based on casings found at the scene, was consistent with a gun registered to Camargo’s wife, Palazuelos said.

The jury found Camargo guilty of three felony counts of assault with a firearm, one for each victim, along with enhancements on each count for personal use of a firearm and an enhancement for personally inflicting great bodily injury on the man shot in the leg.

Camargo was also convicted of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Moth said Camargo was acquitted of shooting at an occupied vehicle. He said he plans to appeal the verdict.

The jury also considered aggravating factors related to the crimes, which can be used to add time to a sentence. The jury found true that Camargo had engaged in violent conduct indicating a serious danger to society, that he had prior criminal convictions that were either numerous or of increasing seriousness, that he served a prior prison term, and that he was on probation or parole at the time of the crime.

In a separate court hearing, Judge Carrie Stephens found true an enhancement that Camargo had been out on bail from a prior felony case at the time of the shooting.

Camargo’s criminal history includes felony convictions for domestic violence, assault with a deadly weapon, assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury, grand theft from a person, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, according to the release.

Camargo is scheduled to be sentenced Aug. 1. He faces up to 27 years in state prison.