Portales man gets 12 1/2 years

PORTALES — A Portales man was sentenced to 12 and a half years in jail Monday for charges connected to a shooting in June 2020.

Oracio Ornelas, 40, was convicted of aggravated battery and receipt, transportation or possession of a firearm by a felon in June.

According to a release from the district attorney’s office:

• Portales police responded to a convenience store in reference to shots fired and a male subject injured. Police learned the shooting victim was at one of the gas pumps washing his windshield when Ornelas approached him and challenged him to a fight.

• Ornelas closed distance, then pulled a handgun from his waistband and shot the victim in the chest. The shooting victim told police he’d never seen Ornelas before and suspected he was high on methamphetamine.

The sentence includes an eight-year habitual offender enhancement, and the violent offense designation will require Ornelas to serve at least 85% of the sentence.

Deputy District Attorney Quentin Ray prosecuted the case. Ornelas’ attorney, Ralph Dowden, said his client planned to appeal the case and had no other comment