The man who shot Leticia Arroyo to death in her Santee home was sentenced Nov. 9 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
About 20 friends and family of Arroyo, 34, were present at the sentencing of Jose Nunez Torres, 23, who was also given a consecutive term of 24 years and eight months for other crimes.
Her mother, sister, grandmother and uncle spoke about their loss in the Oct. 4, 2016, slaying.
“What really upsets me is he never showed any remorse,” said Rosanna Reyes, who is Arroyo’s mother.
The man who shot Leticia Arroyo to death in her Santee home was sentenced Nov. 9 to life in prison without the possibility of parole.
About 20 friends and family of Arroyo, 34, were present at the sentencing of Jose Nunez Torres, 23, who was also given a consecutive term of 24 years and eight months for other crimes.
Her mother, sister, grandmother and uncle spoke about their loss in the Oct. 4, 2016, slaying.
“What really upsets me is he never showed any remorse,” said Rosanna Reyes, who is Arroyo’s mother.
El Cajon Superior Court Judge Evan Kirvin also imposed another consecutive sentence of 25 years to life for Torres using a gun in the homicide.
Torres was found guilty Sept. 14 of first-degree murder of Arroyo and the special circumstances of murder during a robbery, a burglary and while lying in wait.
Torres texted the words “I’m outside” to Arroyo minutes before he came inside her Mission Greens Road home. Torres took four methamphetamine baggies from Arroyo before he fled.
Also sentenced was Gustavo Ceron, 27, who received five years in prison for committing an armed robbery with Torres in La Jolla.
The 23-year-old getaway driver, whose name is being withheld due to safety concerns, was sentenced Nov. 9 to one year in jail. He was placed on three years probation after he pleaded guilty to being an accessory after the fact and testified at the trial.
“He told the truth 100 percent,” said the driver’s attorney, Gloria Collins. “He did the right thing.”
The sheriff’s department said the driver will be released from jail on Feb. 13, 2019. Kirvin gave him credit for serving 173 days in jail and fined him $1,374.
Deputy District Attorney James Koerber told the judge that prison was not warranted for the driver who provided “substantial assistance” in testifying at the trial.
The driver was first arrested Aug. 15, but he claimed he did not know a murder had occurred. He told sheriff’s deputies about Torres’ actions that night.
Koerber said the driver’s role in the crime took up “less than an hour.” The driver said he only drove Torres to Santee because Torres promised him some drugs.
Collins sought the driver’s immediate release and said he had no prior record. She unsuccessfully asked for the accessory charge to be reduced to a misdemeanor, but it may be reduced in 18 months if he is successful on probation.
Torres accumulated 757 days in jail since his arrest, but he will not get credit for serving them because his sentence is life without parole.
Torres was ordered to pay $4,250 to two people whose cars were stolen and damaged. He was fined $11,518.
Ceron was not involved in the homicide and he testified against Torres in the trial regarding the La Jolla robbery.
Koerber told the judge Ceron “helped this jury understand” the crimes committed by Torres. Koerber said Ceron was truthful and had only met Torres a day before Robert Hill was robbed on Oct. 12, 2016.
Ceron was given credit of already serving 747 days in jail, so the two years in custody will be deducted from his 5-year term. Kirvin fined him $1,724.
“I’m very sorry for what happened to your daughter,” said Ceron to the victim’s mother.
Reyes told Kirvin she was thankful that Ceron decided to testify against Torres and that he showed remorse. She said she would pray for him.
Ceron pleaded guilty to armed robbery of Hill. The judge imposed four years for the hold-up plus one year for using a gun.
“He decided he wanted to help,” said Ceron’s attorney, Andrew Flores, who said “he accepted responsibility.”
Torres declined to talk to a probation officer who was preparing a sentencing report. He dropped out of school in the 10th grade and had previously worked in restaurants, the report said.
Torres will appeal his convictions.
