Man gets maximum sentence in fatal beatings of homeless men
http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S4039862.shtml?cat=500#.VrVk-_krKUk
The Albuquerque man convicted for his role in the 2014 beating deaths of two homeless men will spend 67.5 years behind bars.
A district court judge imposed the maximum prison sentence on 20-year-old Alex Rios Friday. In December, Rios was found guilty of second-degree murder and other charges in connection with the deaths of Allison Gorman and Kee Thompson.
"I would like to apologize to Allison Gorman and Kee Thompson's families," Rios said in court. "...Truly in my heart, I'm not guilty of murdering Kee Thompson and Allison Gorman. I should've said stop, I should've called the cops instead of doing nothing at all."
Prosecutors argued Rios, who was 18 at the time of the crime, and two other teenagers beat the homeless men with cinder blocks, pieces of wood and a metal fence pole while the men slept in a vacant lot near 60th Street and Central Avenue.
But the defense claimed Rios only watched as the two other boys beat and robbed Gorman and Thompson.
"Mr. Rios, I'm glad you took responsibility, but you're minimizing your involvement in this," Judge Briana Zamora said. "...These two gentlemen were sleeping and didn't have a roof over their heads. You took complete advantage of them.... I can't even call this a killing, quite simply, it was torture."
One of the other teens charged in the case, Gilbert Tafoya, accepted a plea deal and testified against Rios. He pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in September.
Under the deal, Tafoya faces up to 20 years in prison, but he also has the possibility of release when he turns 21.
Tafoya was 15 at the time of the crime.
The third teen charged in the case, Nathaniel Carrillo, will go to trial in Sept. 2016.
Tags
Who is online
69 visitors
.Truly in my heart, I'm not guilty of murdering Kee Thompson and Allison Gorman. I should've said stop, I should've called the cops instead of doing nothing at all."
You watched your buds beat and kill two homeless Navajo - and you're not guilty?????
At least justice was served in this very disturbing case. Lord of the Flies has nothing on this.
Cerenkov - this is just one case of what the "youthful offenders" in Albuquerque are doing to the homeless population - specifically the Native Americans.
Society seems to be falling backwards. Kids in my era would never conceive of such violence.
Not necessarily so. During my "era" (60/70's) we had the gangs that roamed and did beat the crap out of the homeless and others. The media was not as visual/"in-your-face" as they are today so it wasn't seen as much.
I can believe that. I grew up in quiet suburbs in NJ. We didn't see any of that. I suppose I was sheltered.
Wonder if other "youthful offenders" who abuse/beat homeless persons and have been captured can expect the same?
I hope that they can expect the same.
It used to be called ''Indian Rolling''...Sadly nothing has been learned in the 40 years.
Tad bit more than 40 years, 'member? Stories from the elders who had lived around "white" cities of the beatings and unidentified deaths.