TULSA, Okla. — A man now living in Tulsa was given a second chance after he was sentenced to more than 40 years in prison. Gabriel Ochoa was released from prison just this month and now wants to reach others who are incarcerated and feel they have no hope.
Ochoa was arrested when he was 16 years old in 1991 for shooting with intent to kill and gang violence.
He had been a part of the Oklahoma City gangs since he was 12.
“I kept getting closer and closer and the closer I got I just kept shooting,” Ochoa said. “And I shot him several times and I thought I killed him. I thought I killed him, and I was like man what did I just do, but thank God he survived.”
Ochoa was transferred across multiple prisons at low, medium and high security. He was even at the state penitentiary in McAlester for some time, in the same cell block as death row.
“I would see all the bars and think everything’s so secure and think ain’t nobody can do nothing to us here, we’re safe,” he said. “Boy was I wrong, and it didn’t take long before I got to see my first stabbing. I knew we were gonna have to be on our toes down here because regardless of all the bars and security and everything, I knew this place was violent and it was wicked.”