Boise man pleads guilty to fatal Bench shooting; woman sentenced for harboring him

Anthony Joseph Alcala, the man accused of fatally shooting a woman on the Boise Bench in April, has changed his plea to guilty in a deal with prosecutors and is set to be sentenced in February.

Alcala, 20, of Meridian, was originally charged with second-degree murder and two felony counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon in the killing of 19-year-old Briana Martinez during an exchange of property. The aggravated battery counts resulted from the shooting of Natalie Martinez and Sonny Heidenreich.

Alcala pleaded guilty Thursday to voluntary manslaughter and the aggravated battery charges.

Fourth District Judge Samuel Hoagland made reference to the change in Alcala’s case during sentencing Wednesday afternoon for Jessica Lee Perez, 19, who was charged with a felony for harboring Alcala after the shooting. Perez was sentenced to five years in prison by Hoagland but will be eligible for parole after serving two.

The prosecution, in seeking a sentence of five years with two years fixed, said that Perez was aware of what she was doing when she helped Alcala try to hide from authorities and that her stories about the incident have been ever-changing. Perez’s attorneys said she was an immature teenager who still has the ability to correct her behavior.

“My thoughts here is that she was immature and irresponsible,” Hoagland said in explaining his sentence.

This was the first adult charge for Perez, who was 18 when the shooting occurred. She has a lengthy juvenile record going back to 2013 for battery, fighting and the use of illicit substances, prosecutors said.

Hoagland ordered a restitution review hearing for April 16 for Perez and also indicated in court that she might not be a good candidate for probation.

Idaho Statesman Reporter Ruth Brown contributed to this report.

This story was originally published December 13, 2019 at 8:25 AM.