Gang-Related Shooting in Nampa: Lazaro Vela Sentenced to 12 Years for Aggravated Battery
A man named Lazaro Vela has been sentenced to 12 years for aggravated battery with a deadly weapon enhancement related to a gang-related shooting in Nampa in September 2022. Vela, a member of the Brown Pride Surenos gang, shot a member of the Norteno gang in a parking lot in Nampa. Another Norteno member, Brian Moreno, also shot a bystander in retaliation.
Vela was involved in another gang-related shooting in Boise in 2023, where he fired several rounds into a group of Norteno members, injuring a 16-year-old female. He was later convicted in Ada County and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Canyon County Prosecuting Attorney Chris Boyd stated that Vela poses an unacceptable risk to the community and incarceration is necessary to protect citizens.
The prosecutor requested a 30-year concurrent sentence, but Vela was sentenced to seven years fixed with five years indeterminate to be served consecutively to the Ada County sentence. This decision was made to ensure that Vela is held accountable for his actions and to protect the community from further harm.