Sacramento judge gives man 25 years to life in prison for homeless encampment attack
A Sacramento Superior Court judge sentenced a man to 25 years to life in prison for an attack last year on two people at a homeless encampment in Citrus Heights, prosecutors said.
A jury on March 2 found Jeffery Martin Cross guilty of assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury, making criminal threats and intimidating a witness, the Sacramento County District Attorney’s Office announced Monday in a news release.
Cross had previous convictions for involuntary manslaughter with the use of a gun, making criminal threats and first-degree burglary that were considered strikes under California’s “Three Strikes” law.
On May 31, Citrus Heights Police Department officers responded to a report of an assault at the homeless encampment on Greenback Lane. Prosecutors said one victim knew Cross and told officers that Cross kicked him, which may have caused him to lose consciousness.
Officers spotted dried blood on the side of the victim’s head and a red mark in his rib area. Prosecutors said a witness saw Cross punch and kick the victim multiple times. That witness told officers that Cross then punched him in the face, causing the witness to fall backward onto the ground.
In a photo lineup later, both victims identified Cross as the person who assaulted them, according to the District Attorney’s Office. One of the victims told investigators that Cross threatened him, telling him to keep quiet.
Judge Shama Mesiwala sentenced Cross on Monday. Deputy District Attorney Alexandra Sanders prosecuted the case.
Cross, 59, remained in custody Monday evening at the Sacramento County Jail awaiting transfer to prison.
This story was originally published March 28, 2022 at 5:40 PM.
