Wichita man who shot his girlfriend and stole her car sentenced to 55 years in prison

A Wichita man who shot his girlfriend and stole her car before being captured in New Mexico has been sentenced to more than 55 years in state prison.

Eli Mendoza, 29, was sentenced Wednesday to 666 months in prison for multiple convictions, District Attorney Marc Bennett said in a news release. A Sedgwick County District Court jury previously found Mendoza guilty of attempted first-degree murder, aggravated robbery, criminal possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, aggravated domestic battery and criminal threat.

Prosecutors said that Mendoza had asked his girlfriend to give him a ride to work on Aug. 9, 2018.

“After getting in the woman’s car in the 2300 block of S. Water, he placed a gun to the woman’s head and said, ‘Drive, or I will shoot you,’ “ Bennett said in the news release. “The woman attempted to push the gun away and escape the vehicle when Mendoza fired one shot, striking her in the left arm and chest. As the woman fell from the driver side door, Mendoza fired again, striking her in the right arm.”

The victim escaped by running to another vehicle in the area of Mt. Vernon and Water while screaming for help, prosecutors said. Mendoza then drove away in his girlfriend’s vehicle. He was arrested by police 11 days later near Portales, New Mexico.