Man convicted of 2006 murder. Victim, 19, was a bystander at Galt street fight

A man was convicted of second-degree murder Monday, 15 years after a Galt man was killed while observing a street fight.

A jury found Javier Montanez Jr. guilty in the murder of Clinton Poole.

Poole, then 19, was killed on Jan. 6, 2006, while he was observing a fight involving 30 to 40 people.

According to a news release from the Sacramento District Attorney’s Office, Montanez and a group of suspects physically assaulted Poole while he was in his front yard. Once the fighting subsided, Montanez stabbed Poole in the chest with a knife, killing him, officials said.

Montanez fled to Mexico following the murder, where he remained until he was extradited in 2019. Prior to learning of his location in 2018, the FBI offered up to $10,000 for information regarding his whereabouts.

Montanez faces a maximum sentence of 16 years to life in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 20.

This story was originally published June 28, 2021 at 9:47 AM.