Redding man gets prison sentence on attempted murder, domestic violence charges

Michele Chandler, Redding Record Searchlight
·1 min read
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A Redding man convicted of using an assault rifle to shoot and severely injure his girlfriend and a neighbor at a Redding apartment complex was sentenced to 78 years to life in state prison on Friday, the Shasta County District Attorney's Office said.

This sentence follows the October 14, 2022 conviction of Benjamin Samuel Pouvifata of attempted murder, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, two counts of child abuse, arson and related domestic violence charges. Several allegations related to the personal use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury were also found true, according to the District Attorney's Office.According to authorities, Pouvifata, then 36, assaulted his girlfriend in their apartment in the 600 bock of Hartnell Ave. on Jan. 15, 2021. The fight rolled into a neighboring apartment, authorities said. While the girlfriend was tending to her injuries in the neighbor's apartment, Pouvifata retrieved an AR-15 style rifle from his apartment.

More:UPDATE: Police accuse Redding man of shooting girlfriend, neighbor with assault rifle

Pouvifata then returned to the neighbor’s apartment where he "immediately began firing at his girlfriend and a male neighbor, striking both individuals," a statement from the District Attorney said.

Redding police officers cordoned off an apartment complex where a disturbance was reported Friday night, Jan. 15, 2021 in the area of Hartnell Avenue and C Street.
Redding police officers cordoned off an apartment complex where a disturbance was reported Friday night, Jan. 15, 2021 in the area of Hartnell Avenue and C Street.

Police said that Pouvifata tried to set his apartment on fire following the shooting, which occurred while two small children were present. Firefighters quickly extinguished the flames.

After a brief struggle, Redding Police officers responding to the incident broke open an apartment door and arrested Pouvifata, according to a post on the department's Facebook page at that time.

The names of the victims were not released.

Michele Chandler covers criminal justice issues for the Redding Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. Follow her on Twitter at @MChandler_RS, call her at 530-338-7753 or email her at michele.chandler@redding.com. Please support our entire newsroom's commitment to public service journalism by subscribing today.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Redding man gets prison sentence on attempted murder charges