One of three men who pleaded guilty to attempted armed burglary in connection with a fatal home invasion was sentenced to 7.5 years in prison Tuesday.
Sergio Guillermo Uriquidez, 26, was one of three men originally charged with first-degree murder in the February 2008 death of Robert R. Torrez, 23.
According to court testimony, Torrez, Uriquidez, Pablo Maximiliano Torrez, 22, and Constantino Bracamonte, 27, went to house near South Mission Road and West 44th Street to steal drugs.
Robert Torrez, Pablo Torrez’s brother, was shot by someone in the home and died after being dropped off at St. Mary’s Hospital.
All of the men were charge with first-degree murder under the felony murder rule, which allows an individual to be charged with murder when someone dies during the commission of certain felonies.
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Last month, Pablo Torrez, Uriquidez and Bracamonte each pleaded guilty to attempted armed burglary and agreed to serve somewhere between 7.5 and 15 years in prison.
On Tuesday, Judge Hector Campoy of Pima County Superior Court assured Uriquidez he was sentencing him for the crime he pleaded guilty to, not to felony murder.
Campoy said he took into consideration Uriquidez’s lack of any prior felony convictions, family support, remorse and the fact the crime was committed for pecuniary gain with accomplices.
At the time of the men’s guilty plea, Deputy Pima County Attorney Mark Diebolt said several things were taken into consideration before the defendants were offered plea agreements.
First, the occupants of the home cannot be found, Diebolt said. Secondly, the feelings of the Torrez brothers' mother were taken into consideration.
All three defendants told detectives they went to the home to steal what they thought would be a large quantity of marijuana, but no marijuana was found, Diebolt said.
Pablo Torrez is scheduled to be sentenced Tuesday afternoon. Bracamonte will be sentenced next week.
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