Man sentenced in connection to 2019 attempted murder
According to a statement from the Lassen County District Attorney’s office, visiting judge, the Honorable Bradley L. Boeckman, sentenced defendant Tobie Allen Guffie to an indeterminate term of life with the possibility of parole (pursuant to statute) Tuesday after being convicted by a jury last month of first-degree attempted murder, first-degree residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, and felony vandalism.
Just after midnight on July 27, 2019, deputies from the Lassen County Sheriff Office were dispatched to a report of a homeowner shooting an intruder in their home. Upon arrival, deputies learned that the intruder, known to the occupants and identified as Guffie, gained entry into the home by throwing a cement block through the sliding glass door. Guffie then entered the home through the smashed slider, carrying a pitchfork and a roll of duct tape. Guffie headed for the bedroom of the victim who had been asleep in bed and began jabbing at him with the pitchfork, in the torso area, striking the victim in the hand. The victim was able to procure a firearm and fired one time at Guffie, wounding him. Another resident who was present in the home and had been awakened by the commotion, observed the event. After being shot, Guffie fled from the scene and was later apprehended by Sheriff deputies.
Both occupants of the home gave emotional testimony at trial, read the statement. Another witness testified that in the day prior to the event, Guffie had made statements to them regarding wanting to kill someone, implicating this particular victim. The investigating officer testified that upon his arrest, Guffie stated that if he had accomplished what he set out to do, “someone in this world wouldn’t be breathing”, again referring to the particular victim. All of these statements were presented as evidence of Guffie’s intent in order to satisfy the willful, deliberate, and premeditated component of first-degree attempted murder.
“This case was significantly delayed over the past year due to COVID-19 and took much longer to get to finality than it should have. We appreciate the patience of the crime victims and other witnesses. Hopefully with the verdict last month and the sentence imposed today, the crime victims can start the healing process moving forward,” read the statement.
