BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KBAK/KBFX) — A man, who was then 16 years old at the time of the crime, faces up to 54 years in prison after being convicted of second-degree murder in the 2021 deadly shooting of a 19-year-old man during a planned marijuana sale.
The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on October 28, 2026, a Kern County jury found Sonny Veleta guilty of the second-degree murder of 19-year-old Cesar Joseph Malta.
The jury also found Veleta guilty of shooting at an occupied motor vehicle, discharging a firearm and causing death, and assault with a firearm on the surviving victim.
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According to the DA’s Office, on August 12, 2021, Cesar Joseph Malta drove his vehicle to the intersection of Lake Street and Kern Street to meet with Sonny Veleta. The DA’s Office said before meeting, Malta and Veleta had communicated over Snapchat and arranged for Malta to sell $200 worth of marijuana to Veleta.
When Malta and his 18-year-old passenger arrived on Lake Street, Veleta walked up to the vehicle. The DA’s Office said with a gun concealed in his waistband and a hood covering his face, Veleta went directly to the open driver’s door window and contacted Malta.
According to the DA’s office, without saying a word, Veleta pulled the gun out of his waistband and pointed it at Malta before the transaction began. The passenger witnessed Veleta fire a gunshot while Malta’s car simultaneously moved forward. The bullet struck Malta on the left side of his back.
A plastic bag containing marijuana was later found on the vehicle’s floor between the driver’s seat and door. Malta’s friend reached across the vehicle and was able to drive them to safety, stopping the car at the corner of Baker and Oregon Street, where he called 9-1-1.
The DA’s office said Bakersfield Police Department officers and medical personnel responded to the scene and took Malta to Kern Medical. Despite the attempt of life saving measures, Malta died from his injury shortly after arriving to the hospital.
The DA’s office said at the time of the crime, Veleta was 16 years old, necessitating that he initially be charged as a juvenile. In February of 2024, Veleta’s case was transferred from juvenile to adult court after Veleta was found to be “legally fit” to be tried as an adult for this callous crime of violence.
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The Kern County District Attorney’s Office said on October 28, 2026, a Kern County jury found Sonny Veleta guilty of the second-degree murder of 19-year-old Cesar Joseph Malta. PHOTO: Kern County DA
District Attorney Cynthia Zimmer commented, “A choice by a young adult to sell marijuana on the streets is unwise, but that decision is entirely undeserving of the violence that befell the young man and his friend. Such violence demands serious penalties in the adult judicial system.”
Veleta’s sentencing is scheduled for December 9, 2026, where he faces a sentence of up to 54 years to life in prison.