Santa Cruz
News Feed
Events
Local Businesses
Classifieds
Crime & Safety

Man Convicted Of Shooting Teenager In Head, Leaving Him Blind

A 23-year-old man was convicted Friday of shooting a teenager in the head in Seaside in 2025, leaving the victim blind in one eye.

SEASIDE, CA — A 23-year-old man was convicted Friday of shooting a teenager in the head in Seaside in 2025, leaving the victim blind in one eye.

Reginald Leon Williams pleaded no contest to mayhem with sentencing enhancements for the use of a firearm and prior felony convictions as a juvenile, according to a statement from the Monterey County District Attorney's Office.

Subscribe

The shooting occurred during a group fight at Seaside's Beta Park in March last year that allegedly involved rival gang members.

Williams participated in the fight and reportedly had his vehicle's rear window smashed, prompting him to fire several gunshots from about 200 feet away into a crowd of about 20 people fighting, the DA's Office said in a statement.

A 17-year-old was struck in the head and endured extended medical procedures to survive with one working eye.

Williams, who prosecutors said was affiliated with the Seaside Crip street gang, will be sentenced to 20 years in prison as part of the plea agreement. He is scheduled to return to Monterey County Superior Court for sentencing on Oct. 28.

— Copyright © 2026 Bay City News, Inc. All rights reserved. Republication, rebroadcast or redistribution without the express written consent of Bay City News, Inc. is prohibited. Bay City News is a 24/7 news service covering the greater Bay Area.

More from Santa Cruz
News | Sep 3
News | Aug 17
News | Aug 4
See more on Patch >

Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Santa Cruz Patch

Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.

©2026 Patch Media. All Rights Reserved

Do Not Sell My Personal Information