Santa Rosa man convicted in 1997 gang shooting denied parole again

A Santa Rosa man sentenced to life in prison for a 1997 gang shooting was denied parole on Tuesday by a state board, the Sonoma County District Attorney’s Office said.

Mario Gaburel, 51, was convicted of attempted murder after he opened fire on four people in a car on Feb. 21, 1997.

He was accused of planning the shooting as a retaliation against rival gang members who he believed had stabbed his 16-year-old stepson.

The four people he shot with an AK-47 rifle survived.

At the time of his sentencing, Gaburel insisted he was not the shooter but pleaded guilty because he “had his reasons.”

In addition to attempted first-degree murder, Gaburel’s conviction included gun and gang enhancements. His life sentence included the possibility of parole, which he was last denied in 2014.

In a hearing in Sacramento on Tuesday, the California Board of Parole Hearings again denied parole for Gaburel, saying in its ruling that he has refused to accept responsibility for the crime, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

“The board further noted Gaburel’s repeated violent behavior while incarcerated, most notably a 2016 incident for which Gaburel was convicted of the attempted murder of another inmate,” the District Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

Gaburel will be eligible for parole again in 2028.

You can reach Staff Writer Matt Pera at matthew.pera@pressdemocrat.com. On Twitter @Matt__Pera.