VISALIA – According to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, two Visalia men have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms in connection with the fatal shooting of a man at a local motel over four years ago.
On the morning of January 8, 2021, Visalia Police officers were dispatched to a motel after receiving reports of a man lying in a room bleeding and unresponsive.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office reported that officers discovered Robert Soto, 40, deceased inside the room.
The surveillance footage from the motel proved to be critical. According to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, detectives saw two men enter and exit the motel room with what appeared to be a shotgun.
Following a loud sound captured on audio, the men were seen quickly exiting the room. One of the suspects later returned to another room at the same motel.
Ralph Grajeda, 45, remained at the scene and was arrested without incident by the Visalia Police Department. According to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office, Grajeda told detectives during questioning that Jose Luna, 33, pulled the trigger and fatally shot Soto with the shotgun.
The Tulare County District Attorney’s Office believes the killing was motivated by perceived former gang ties. Luna was eventually apprehended after calling for medical assistance on February 7, 2021. He was arrested without incident after receiving treatment.
Luna pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in September 2024 and admitted to special allegations such as witness intimidation, the use of a firearm, and the crime being his third strike under California’s Three Strikes Law, according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
In November 2024, he was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison and is currently serving it at Pleasant Valley State Prison.
Meanwhile, Grajeda pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter on May 28, 2025. On July 1, 2025, he was sentenced to 19 years in state prison, according to the Tulare County District Attorney’s Office.
