‘I never thought I’d be able to kill’: Boise man gets life in prison in stepfather’s murder
A Boise man will spend at least 35 years in prison after he was sentenced Thursday for the August 2019 killing of a man described as his “father figure.”
Carlos A. Sandoval, 25, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in November, three months after he shot and killed 45-year-old Antoine “Andi” Jones. Fourth District Judge Steven Hippler sentenced Sandoval to life in prison with 35 years fixed, meaning he won’t be eligible for parole until he’s 60 years old.
During sentencing, Hippler called the shooting a “brutal murder” and “senseless slaying,” and said he hoped that Sandoval would take advantage of his years behind bars to become a better person.
“I think you need to be old and tired and ... to the point where it doesn’t matter what people think or say (about you),” Hippler told Sandoval.
Hippler cited Sandoval’s long list of prior crimes — including batteries, malicious injury to property, and lewd and lascivious conduct with minor family members — as part of the reasoning behind the sentence. In addition, Hippler said he believed Sandoval planned Jones’ killing — and expressed a desire to harm others, as well.
Boise shooter, victim had ‘bad blood’
Sandoval and Jones had a long, tense history that boiled over the day of the shooting, according to text messages and police interviews with Sandoval.
During an interview with Boise Police Department Detective Mike Miraglia, Sandoval said his mother, who died in 2017, began dating Jones when Sandoval was a teen. The two didn’t have much contact at the time, but Sandoval told Miraglia that the “bad blood” between Sandoval and Jones began when Jones allegedly became physically abusive toward Sandoval’s mother.
“She had no teeth and, like, marks all over her face,” Sandoval told Miraglia in a police interview that was played during the sentencing hearing. “It was at that moment I knew I hated him.”
Sandoval and Jones remained in touch after Sandoval’s mother died. In February 2018, Sandoval moved into Jones’ home in the 1700 block of North Fry Street. The two lived there with family friend Tiffany Holloway and two others.
On the day of the shooting, Aug. 2, 2019, Jones had texted Sandoval and told him to stop bringing guests to the house, according to text messages displayed in court on Thursday. Jones also made a joke about having a sexual relationship with a woman Sandoval was dating at the time. That comment sparked a fight.
Sandoval responded via text message, calling Jones “disgusting” and “a disgrace.”
“I can only imagine how you treated my mom for 10 years,” Sandoval wrote.
‘He got what he deserved’
Sandoval and the others who lived in the Fry Street residence were home later that day when Jones came home early from work. Sandoval was in his bedroom at the back of the house with a friend. Multiple guns were on the bed, Boise Police Department detectives said during the sentencing hearing.
When Jones arrived, he and Sandoval began arguing. Sandoval told police that he picked up a 9 mm handgun belonging to Jones.
“He made the choice to use Andi’s gun to kill him to make a point,” Miraglia said Thursday.
Sandoval said Jones began provoking him and telling him to “be a man,” so Sandoval pulled the trigger, shooting Jones in the torso. He told police that he continued to fire bullets at Jones, shooting at the man between eight and 10 times.
“I almost didn’t do it, but he came in pushing me,” Sandoval later told police.
In the interview footage played in court, Sandoval told Miraglia that talking about the shooting got him “pumped up.”
“I feel OK about doing it,” he said. “I never thought I’d be able to kill somebody.”
In another clip from the police interview, Sandoval told the detective that he had shot at people before, though he didn’t believe he had killed any of them. He also told Miraglia that he would kill another of his mother’s ex-boyfriends if given the chance, explaining that the man had abused Sandoval and his siblings as children.
Sandoval said he had no regret for killing Jones.
“He got what he deserved,” Sandoval said. “I’d do it again if he came back.”
Woman injured in shooting offers forgiveness
As Sandoval was shooting at Jones, one of his bullets hit Tiffany Holloway, another of the residents of the Fry Street home. Initially, Sandoval faced felony aggravated battery and use of a deadly weapon charges, but both were dropped when he pleaded guilty to first-degree murder.
In a victim impact statement she delivered on Thursday, Holloway said she doesn’t harbor ill feelings toward Sandoval — aside from cursing him a bit every morning when she wakes up with a stiff hip due to the bullet still lodged there.
“I was close to both of them and I love them both,” Holloway said of Sandoval and Jones. “... And if Andi were alive right now, he would forgive Carlos.”
Jones’ sister, Ebonee Small, wasn’t as forgiving. She described Jones as a creative type with a gift for music and a big heart who “would do anything for anybody.”
“My forgiveness (for Sandoval) will fall on the day he takes his last breath,” Small said.
For his part, Sandoval offered remorse in a short statement.
“I’m sorry for everything,” he said. “To ask for forgiveness is not my place.”
