A Double Murderer Was Ordered To Spend 50 Years Behind Bars. Families Of The Victims Are Outraged At The Sentence

A Texas man accused of gunning down his ex-girlfriend and her friend successful a 2023 double execution will walk decades successful prison, but not nan remainder of his life, leaving nan victims’ families stunned and fuming.

Lazerith Carrillo, 22, accepted a plea woody successful Bexar County successful nan 2023 shooting deaths of Alyssa Perez, 26, and her friend, Edward Acosta Jimenez, 32.

Carrillo had primitively faced a superior execution charge, which carried nan anticipation of life without parole aliases nan decease penalty. That complaint was later reduced to 2 counts of execution arsenic portion of nan plea agreement.

And connected March 30, a judge sentenced him to 2 concurrent 50-year situation terms, according to nan Bexar County District Attorney’s Office – meaning Carrillo could beryllium eligible for parole aft 25 years.

It’s a determination that has near nan families of nan victims blindsided.

Perez’s mother, Aimee Perez, and Jimenez’s sister, Jessica Acosta, told KSAT that they had expected nan lawsuit to spell to trial.

“We waited 3 years for this,” Perez said.

Since nan killings of their loved ones successful 2023, nan devastated families person been hoping nan proceedings would springiness them immoderate benignant of closure.

The 2023 killings

Alyssa Perez, 26, and her friend, Edward Acosta Jimenez, 32, were recovered changeable to decease conscionable earlier 2 a.m. connected January 27, 2023.

In a heartbreaking twist, it was Jimenez’s mother who recovered their bodies successful a car parked extracurricular her location connected Trudell Street aft she tried to aftermath her boy for work, according to an apprehension affidavit. She told constabulary astatine nan clip that she did not admit nan female aliases nan vehicle.

Security video from a neighbor’s location showed that nan shooting happened astatine 12:50 a.m. A man was seen stepping distant from nan car aft shots were fired, according to nan affidavit.

Just 2 hours aft Jimenez’s mother called police, a man reported that personification tried to carjack him astatine gunpoint successful nan 8300 artifact of Dudley, astir a mile distant from Trudell.

The carjacker, identified by constabulary arsenic Carrillo, was arrested, nan affidavit states. He was 18 years aged astatine nan time. Police said nan weapon successful his possession was nan aforesaid caliber arsenic nan spent ammunition casings from nan segment of nan murder.

He was besides recovered pinch Perez’s cellphone, which had a lawsuit containing her ID, societal information paper and debit card, according to nan affidavit. Investigators said Carrillo’s fingerprint was recovered connected nan integrative cup wrong nan car. During a constabulary interview, Carrillo admitted he knew nan victims but denied being progressive successful their deaths.

When constabulary said pinch Perez’s family, they said she had conscionable surgery up pinch her boyfriend, identified arsenic Carrillo, and she told them that Carrillo changeable astatine her car erstwhile she dropped him disconnected earlier successful nan week, nan affidavit states.

Prosecutors said forensic evidence, including DNA and fingerprints recovered from nan vehicle, tied Carrillo to nan killings.

District Attorney Joe Gonzales praised nan result successful a statement.

“I want to applaud nan unthinkable efforts of nan prosecution squad and rule enforcement progressive successful nan case,” Gonzales said. “Because of their relentless pursuit of nan truth, we were capable to guarantee that nan individual responsible for this tragic crime faced nan consequences of their actions.”

‘This wasn’t justice’

Emotions ran precocious successful nan Bexar County courtroom during Carrillo’s sentencing arsenic nan victims’ families confronted nan man who killed their loved ones.

“You viciously took 2 lives – of group who trusted you – who really cared astir you,” Aimee Perez said successful court, pointing her digit astatine Carrillo.

Another comparative sobbed arsenic she said astir nan victims.

“Her life wasn’t over, it wasn’t expected to beryllium over,” she cried. “And you took that from me. Why did you do that? You collapsed us.”

The families who had fought 3 years for justness made judge to beryllium successful tribunal for nan sentencing, but told KSAT they were stunned by nan abrupt plea woody determination and claimed nan prosecutors contacted them conscionable days earlier nan plea was finalized.

“They called america astatine 5 o’clock connected Friday, and they did want america to person thing fresh for Monday,“ Jessica Acosta said. “Everything was rushed. Even erstwhile we asked, ‘Why are we rushing? We were expected to commencement a proceedings nan pursuing week. Why couldn’t we hold for Judge (Stephanie) Boyd to beryllium here?’ But they had nary answers.”

Perez said nan Bexar County DA’s Office reached retired to their family connected Friday unexpectedly, and that they weren’t prepared.

“We kept telling them that we’re not prepared for this,” she said. “I mean, 3 years, and past they show america this (on) Friday? I mean, this is not fair.”

The vexation extended beyond nan timing of nan plea, arsenic Acosta said nan family felt ignored by prosecutors successful court.

“When we came successful (Monday), they (DA’s agency staff) wouldn’t moreover speak to us,” Acosta claimed. “They wouldn’t moreover look astatine america until aft nan sentencing was done. Then, they tried to travel and springiness america nan clone smiles and nan clone hugs, but this wasn’t justice. In my opinion, they’re each cowards.”

A spokesperson for nan territory attorney’s agency told KSAT that prosecutors had communicated pinch nan families astir nan anticipation of a plea deal.

“We contacted nan family connected Wednesday, March 18, to talk nan imaginable plea statement and followed up pinch a telephone telephone connected Friday morning, March 20, to pass them that our agency had finalized nan offer,” nan spokesperson said.

“We understand that this was not nan extremity consequence nan families were seeking. However, each item of nan lawsuit was thoroughly considered, including nan family’s desired result.

“Ultimately, we secured a condemnation that guarantees nan suspect has acknowledged his culpability and is being held accountable for his actions.”

Acosta said that nan prosecutors had antecedently described nan lawsuit arsenic a “slam dunk” and that they “held onto that, believing them.”

“They lied to us, each azygous time for those 3 years,” she said. “We wanted our time successful court. We wanted justice, which was not fixed to us.”

‘We’re going to beryllium her voice’

For some families, nan sentencing marks a caller section that they opportunity will beryllium focused connected making judge Carrillo serves arsenic overmuch of his condemnation arsenic possible.

“We will beryllium location each azygous clip to protestation his release, truthful that he serves each azygous time of those 50 years,” Acosta said.

“We’re going to beryllium her voice. We’re each who she has correct now,” Perez added. “We’re going to guidelines up for her. We’re going to beryllium heard – for her.”