A man who shot at a home with eight people inside over internet “beef” he had with someone in the house will serve five years at a youth correctional facility after pleading down his charges.

Ruben Sandoval, 20, was arrested in May 2025 in connection with the drive-by shooting in the 2100 block of East Willamette Avenue in Colorado Springs.

Prosecutors charged Sandoval with eight counts of attempted murder, but he took a plea deal that lowered his charges to first-degree attempted assault. No one was injured in the shooting, though it was noted in court that the shooting could have killed or seriously injured someone in the family, which includes a baby.

Judge William Bain on Wednesday approved a stipulated sentencing for Sandoval, who was granted 107 days for time served.

If Sandoval does not comply with the requirements of his agreement, then he will be sent to the Colorado Department of Corrections for up to 16 years, Bain said.

“Thank you for a second chance,” Sandoval told Bain on Wednesday.

Bound by his wrists while wearing an orange El Paso County jail uniform, Sandoval apologized to the people he impacted, which includes the family of eight, but also a man whose vehicle he stole to commit the crime.

It appeared that none of the victims were present for the hearing.

Bain said he’s glad Sandoval is taking some accountability for the crime but expressed skepticism about the defendant’s honesty. Ultimately, only time will tell if Sandoval will take full responsibility for his actions, Bain said.

Christopher Lumbreras, Sandoval’s uncle, told the court that he hopes his nephew will reflect on his actions and not fall back into the same cycle that many young adults fall into after spending time in jail.

“He’s a really good kid. He has a good heart,” Lumbreras told The Gazette after Sandoval’s sentencing. “You could look at him and tell that he’s not a career criminal. He just got caught up in the wrong crowd, and now he has to take accountability.”

Sandoval, characterized by Colorado Springs police as a “prolific offender,” bragged about the shooting on Instagram chat logs in a group chat with his friends. The chat logs go over “beef” they had with a man inside the home, The Gazette previously reported.

The man police say was the target of the shooting told investigators that Sandoval, nicknamed “Malo,” had argued with him online. The man also told police that Sandoval said he would “shoot up” his home and threatened him with a weapon two days before the shooting.