SENTENCING UPDATE 🚨

SENTENCING UPDATE 🚨

Juan Carlos Toscano, Javier Angel Ontiveros, and Garret Sebastian Cole were each sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after a jury found them guilty of first-degree murder and found true the special circumstance that the murder was committed during the commission of a robbery, along with other charges.

The case was prosecuted by Deputy DA Cyrus Shahbazian.

The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on September 23, 2022, when two victims, friends from Long Beach, California, drove up to Bakersfield to purchase “lean” (promethazine/codeine). When they arrived in Bakersfield, they were told to enter a detached garage located at 304 Real Road where the transaction was to take place. Once inside, Defendant Cole and Defendant Toscano drew firearms and Defendant Ontiveros and another individual (previously prosecuted) entered with masks and rifles. The four held the victims at gun point, taking $8,000, a cell phone, wallet, and keys. A struggle ensued, and Defendants Cole and Toscano shot one of the victims, Taylor Poulin, in the head. One round entered the victim’s head from the right cheek, going through his brain, and exiting the back. The other round entered through the right temple and out the back of his head. The surviving victim was placed inside the trunk of a vehicle but managed to escape.

Cole, Ontiveros, and the other individual took the deceased victim’s body to Arizona where they attempted to bury him and cover their tracks. Evidence led officers to the defendants, as well as the victim’s body in Arizona.

This sentence ensures that these individuals are held responsible for their senseless acts of violence.