Yuma man gets 36 years for shooting into home

A Yuma County man who fired three rounds into a Foothills residence last year has been sentenced to more than three decades behind bars.

Christopher Michael Cartier, who confessed after his arrest that he was “eliminating targets,” was convicted of two counts of attempted first-degree murder and sentenced to 18 years for each of the counts, for a combined 36 years.

The judge, when sentencing Cartier, ordered that the sentences be served consecutively, meaning that when Cartier finishes serving the first 18-year sentence, he will then begin serving the second 18-year sentence.

Cartier, 40, was found guilty of the charges in November after a weeklong trial and was sentenced on Friday. Attorney William Katz of the Yuma County Attorney's Office prosecuted the case.

On Jan. 12, 2012, deputies from the Yuma County Sheriff's Office responded to a report of a drive-by shooting at about 6:47 a.m. at a home in the 14000 block of East County 3rd Street. The two adult occupants of the home reported that three rounds were fired into the residence shortly after they woke up.

According to court records, Cartier said he steadied his weapon on his truck, aimed and fired repeatedly at the windows of the home when he saw their silhouettes. Cartier knew his victims, who had a harassment injunction against him.

A description of a vehicle seen fleeing the scene was given to responding units, and the vehicle was spotted in the vicinity of Highway 95 and Avenue 9E. A high-risk traffic stop was conducted and the sole occupant of the vehicle, Cartier, was arrested and later booked into the Yuma County jail.

A 30-30 rifle, which matched the caliber of spent shell casings at the scene, was recovered from the vehicle.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun.com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @YSJamesGilbert.