He served 6 years for vehicular homicide. The Tri-Cities man could get another 50

A convicted killer fresh out of prison could go back for 50 years after a drive-by shooting earlier this week involving six children.

Miguel A. Paniagua, 29, has been charged with four felonies for the Sunday night confrontation at a major Pasco intersection near the cable bridge.

Police say he fired on an SUV filled with his girlfriend’s ex-boyfriend and six children.

One of the kids, a 12-year-old girl, was hit in the face by glass fragments after a bullet shattered a window.

If convicted as charged, Paniagua is facing 40 to 53 years in prison. That range is based on his criminal history, which includes a 2015 vehicular homicide conviction.

The Pasco man was sentenced to 8 1/2 years for the April 2, 2015, death of Jason Smith, who died shortly after the high-speed crash.

Paniagua was released Jan. 12 with good-time credit after serving less than six years, including the time he spent in the Franklin County jail awaiting trial.

4 felonies each

In the new case, Paniagua is charged in Franklin County Superior Court with two counts of first-degree assault and one count each of first-degree unlawful gun possession and drive-by shooting.

The victims are the pre-teen girl and her father, Juan M. Ledesma, according to court documents.

But Ledesma, 33, also faces four felonies for his own alleged actions in the fight between the two adult men.

He was charged Wednesday with two counts of first-degree assault — for Paniagua and his own ex, Edith Gonzales — and one count each of second-degree unlawful gun possession and drive-by shooting.

Ledesma also is a convicted felon, with a 2007 conviction for first-degree malicious mischief.

Gonzales, who is in a dating relationship with Paniagua, has five children with Ledesma. It is not clear in documents if the girl who was wounded was one of her kids.

She was driving Paniagua when he and Ledesma exchanged gunfire on 10th Avenue, just north of West A Street.

Turned himself in

Both Gonzales and Paniagua claim that Ledesma started the fight when his SUV pulled up next to their pickup in the area of Seventh Avenue and B Street at about 8:20 p.m.

Paniagua allegedly fired the first shot, with Ledesma shooting back, hitting Paniagua in the leg.

Gonzales reportedly took off after the shots were fired.

Police were called to a Tri-Cities hospital about 8:40 p.m. after Paniagua checked in for treatment of a gunshot wound.

Meanwhile, the kids in Ledesma’s SUV were reported fine after being dropped off at a home.

Officers recovered empty casings from the 10th and A intersection. After later locating the pickup driven by Gonzales, police found gunshot damage on the outside of the passenger door and handgun cartridge casings inside.

Ledesma “turned himself in to police peacefully” at 5 p.m. Monday in a parking lot at Court Street and 20th Avenue.

Bail set for 2 men

In court appearances this week, Ledesma was ordered held on $200,000 bail and given a public defender.

Prosecutors requested $1 million for Paniagua, but Judge Sam Swanberg set it at $500,000.

Swanberg did not yet appoint an attorney for Paniagua because the defendant said he is trying to hire Bob Thompson of Pasco to represent him.

Their next court appearance is June 22.

After Paniagua pleaded guilty in 2015 to killing Smith, he received the maximum sentence allowed under the law for his reckless conduct.

His case led Sen Sharon Brown, R-Kennewick, to sponsor a bill that increased the sentencing range for vehicular homicide convictions. She had been approached by Smith’s family.

Now, Paniagua is facing 20 years to 26 1/2 years for each first-degree assault conviction since his criminal history would max out his offender score.

Washington state law mandates that sentences for all serious violent felonies, including first-degree assault, be served back-to-back. That would lead to lengthy terms for shooting at the SUV just months after finishing his last sentence.

Pasco police said the shooting remains an active investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact non-emergency dispatch at 509-628-0333, or email Detective Julie Lee at LeeJ@pasco-wa.gov.