FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) — More than six years after a drive-by shooting claimed the life of a 17-year-old Fresno County teen, his brother took the witness stand Wednesday and recounted the moments leading up to the fatal attack.
Angel Sanchez testified during the preliminary hearing of Allan Cardoso, who is charged with murder and attempted murder in connection with the January 2020 shooting that killed Gregory Sanchez.
“My brother was in the back, Gregory, and he was asking if everyone was okay. And then, about a minute later, he started panicking. He said he had been hit also,” Angel Sanchez testified.
Gregory Sanchez was 17 years old when he was killed. Investigators arrested Cardoso in 2025, more than five years after the shooting, and charged him with murder and attempted murder.
Angel Sanchez, who was 18 at the time of the shooting and is currently serving a federal sentence on unrelated drug and weapons convictions, described being inside the vehicle with his brother and cousin when gunfire erupted.
“I just heard gunshots. My body reacted, and I started ducking,” he testified.
Video from the day of the shooting shows the aftermath, with the victims’ vehicle stopped along the roadway and windows shattered by bullets.
Angel told the court that after the gunfire ended, he tried to help his younger brother.
“When you jump back there, what did you do specifically?” Deputy District Attorney David Olmos asked.
“I was trying to keep him awake because he was passing out,” Angel responded.
Gregory Sanchez later died at the hospital.
Throughout much of the testimony, prosecutors attempted to refresh Angel’s memory about statements he made to investigators immediately after the shooting.
Angel testified that he could not identify Cardoso in court and said he no longer recalled key details about the vehicle involved in the shooting.
Prosecutors noted that in 2020, Angel told detectives he had seen a small gray or black vehicle following them before shots were fired.
“Are you saying today that you were not truthful with officers back on the day of the incident?” Olmos asked.
“I’m not saying that,” Angel replied.
Angel told the court revisiting the case has been painful for him and his family.
“It’s a hurtful case. I lost my little brother, and for me to get dragged back into court after six years later, it’s kind of unnecessary for me and my brother or my cousin to go through all this,” he said.
Prosecutors also suggested the shooting may have been gang-related, noting that Gregory Sanchez, Angel Sanchez and their cousin were affiliated with a gang. However, no gang enhancements or gang-related charges have been filed against Cardoso in this case.
Testimony is expected to continue Thursday.
If Cardoso is held to answer and ultimately convicted, he could face a life sentence in prison.
For news updates, follow Vincent Camarillo on Instagram.
Copyright © 2026 KFSN-TV. All Rights Reserved.