Teenager’s murderer sentenced to life
S.A. man, 37, will not be eligible for parole in fatal 2018 shooting
A 37-year-old man was sentenced Thursday to life in prison for capital murder in connection with a 2018 robbery-gone-bad that resulted in a teenage boy’s death.
Richard Montez, who will not be eligible for parole, was sentenced after being found guilty of the murder of 14-year-old Angel Gebara following a weeklong jury trial before Judge Stephanie Boyd in the 187th District Court.
Montez and two cousins, Andres and Juan Martinez, were responsible for the fatal shooting on Feb. 2, 2018, that killed Angel, as well as 69-year-old Benito Gallegos.
The trio shot Gallegos as they tried to rob him at the Cassiano Homes housing projects before firing nearly 100 bullets toward nearby apartments. One of those rounds entered Angel’s home and hit him in the head as he stood in his kitchen talking to his father and brother.
“It sounded like a little war out there,” the teen’s father, Sotero Juan Gebara, testified in court. “I wasn’t scared for myself, but for my children. I have heard gunfire around here, but never like that.”
He sobbed on the witness stand as he described seeing his son motionless on the floor surrounded by blood. Gebara told the jury his other son tried to go help Angel, but he had to hold him back as gunfire continued.
After a nine-hour standoff with police, Montez and the Martinez cousins were arrested. The cousins took plea deals in exchange for their testimony and were sentenced to 22 and 24 years in prison.
“This case is very, very simple. Did this guy have the right to kill these two people? No, he did not,” special prosecutor Miguel Najera said in his closing statement.
Defense lawyer Orlando Castanon argued that the state’s case relied on the testimony of Montez’s accomplice Juan Martinez, saying he has a history of lying. Castanon also tried to counter that the shooting was in self-defense, saying Montez felt threatened by Gallegos, who was walking with his cane.
“There have been testimony and body camera footage related to Angel Gebara that were very hard to watch,” Castanon said to the jury. “It’s not easy to see a 14year-old die, but you can’t let your bias, sympathy or prejudices play a role in your deliberation.”
Montez sat motionless as the verdict was read Thursday afternoon, his expression unchanging as Boyd revealed his sentence. After it was read, Boyd allowed Angela Medina, Angel’s mother, to speak to Montez. She told him that he ruined multiple lives the day he shot the 14-year-old.
“I felt my heart and soul leave my body that day, and then you dragged me through this again, seeing him laying on the floor like that,” she said. “You took everything from me, everything. Then, when I had to unplug him, you took my life too, and I hope you think about that every day.”