Judge accepts plea deal for student who plotted campus shooting in Ontario

By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

Parents of students who were on a hitlist expressed their frustration after a judge accepted a plea deal for Sebastian Villasenor, who was arrested after plotting a campus shooting in Ontario.

According to police, Villasenor’s alleged shooting plan had six targets, one of them the daughter of Robert Dean, who he says is now living in fear.

“She is terrified. She doesn’t want to leave the house and her head will be on the swivel. She told me last night that I don’t want to leave the house unless you are next to me,” said Villasenor.

The 18-year-old who is facing 5 counts of attempted murder for plotting a shooting at Ontario Christian High School in February was sent home by a judge on Thursday.

The judge accepted a plea agreement negotiated with the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office for a three-year probation sentence which includes no contact with the victims, staying away from the high school, and attending counseling. 

“Now he is going to be free tonight after he is processed with nothing protecting my daughter or any of the other children with the exception of a promise to be good and promise to not break any laws and a restraining order,” said Dean. “I think the system has failed.”

Villasenor’s attorney, Daniel Delimon, defended his client saying he’s innocent of attempted murder and that’s “what the evidence reflects.”

“They made it sound like they had a person who was an imminent threat of committing a school shooting. They said things like ‘He was in possession of weapons and had thousands of ammunition,'” said Delimon.

The attorney added that his client is autistic, although no formal diagnosis has been made.

Villasenor was arrested after his sister alerted police of his planned school shooting and intervened before the plan was made to fruition.

The parents told NBC4 off camera that they are happy their son is home and will take it one day at a time to get through this.

“Unfortunately it’s not a win for my daughter or my family or the people in this community,” said Dean. 

About the Author

Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.