SAN ANTONIO — Gilbert Torres has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for the August 2022 murder of Mario Alvarez.
Torres was indicted for murder by a grand jury in December 2022 and pleaded guilty in December 2023.
Torres had been expeted to testify against Stephanie Zaragosa, who was accused of driving the vehicle Torres was in when he opened a window and shot Mario Alvarez.
Instead, Torres cut his GPS monitor in January and was a fugitive until July. As a result, Zaragosa was sentenced to 18 years in prison for her role in the murder.
At Torres' sentencing, the prosecution argued that his failure to honor the plea agreement justified the court imposing the maximum sentence.
On the night of the crime, Zaragosa drove herself and Torres to Alvarez’s home, with Torres concealed in the back seat by the tinted windows. Zaragosa motioned for Alvarez to approach the vehicle, and when he did, Torres rolled down the window and shot him multiple times, San Antonio Police said following their investigation.
“This sentence reflects the gravity of Gilbert Torres' actions. By failing to fulfill his obligations under the plea agreement, Torres attempted to escape responsibility for his crime,” Bexar County Criminal District Attorney Joe Gonzales said in a news release.
Previous video report on the August 2022 shooting:
