Sutter County Jury Convicts Man in Firearm Negligence and Child Abuse Case
“** CASE UPDATE **
On Thursday, October 24, a Sutter County jury found defendant, Michael Thomas Marti, 34, formerly of Yuba City, guilty of four felonies, including Negligent Storage of a Firearm in the First Degree, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Felon in Possession of Ammunition, and Felony Child Abuse or Neglect. The Jury also found that the victim in this case, a six-year old child with learning disabilities, was a particularly vulnerable victim.
The verdict came after a three-day trial in which Sutter County Deputy District Attorney Ambrose Jordan called several witnesses, including the mother of the deceased child, to the stand. The evidence in this case showed that Marti left loaded handguns in the home he shared with his live-in girlfriend, her six year-old son, and their six month-old daughter. In September of 2021, the six-year old found the defendant’s loaded 9mm handgun, which had been left on a living room table while the defendant slept in another room, and fired one round which struck him in the head, killing him almost instantly. The defendant left the state of California soon afterward, and remained wanted by police until finally turning himself in in late 2022. The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on November 24, 2024, and faces up to 8 years in state prison.
The case was investigated by the Yuba City Police Department and the lead investigator in the case was Yuba City Police Department Sergeant Scott Rounds.”
