TULARE COUNTY, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – A Porterville gang member who killed another gang member in 2023 was convicted on Wednesday, the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office said.

Prosecutors secured a guilty verdict against 29-year-old Oscar Zavala for killing a rival gang member in Porterville in 2023.

On July 10, 2023, at a motel, Zavala shot and killed the victim, the DA said.

Video surveillance showed Zavala talking to the victim briefly and then going to his room. Footage then showed Zavala exiting the room, approaching the victim, and firing a single shot.

Both the victim and Zavala fled the scene. The DA said the victim’s body was not discovered until the morning as the victim collapsed in a secluded area of the motel.

He was taken into custody a few days later.

On Jan. 16, he was found guilty of first-degree murder with the special allegation of using a firearm. On Jan. 21, he was convicted.

Zavala faces life in prison without the possibility of parole. Sentencing for him is scheduled for Feb. 17.