A man from Horizon City was sentenced to 30 years in prison after declaring himself guilty of the murder of a 16 -year -old teenager during a failed drug agreement in the east of El Paso, authorities reported.
César Alejandro Roa, 25, received the conviction for the murder of Jasmine Estrella Adame, which occurred on February 16, 2023, said the prosecutor of the County District of El Paso, James Montoya, in a statement. Judge Bonnie Rangel, of Court 171 of the Judicial District, issued the sentence on April 17 at the Enrique Moreno County Court, in the center of El Paso.
Roa also declared himself guilty of two positions for manufacturing and distribution of controlled substances, for which he was sentenced to 10 years in prison in each. The convictions will be fulfilled concurrently. He also received credit for the time he spent detained since his arrest in March 2023.
According to the accusation, Adame and several friends devised a plan to steal marijuana to a trafficker who had contacted through social networks. The group met with the suspect in block 14300 of Coyote Trail Drive, where one of the young people took the drug and ran. Roa, identified as the seller, fired a gun and hit Adame on the back of the neck.
The young woman’s body was later found in a alley in the area by a friend who had heard of the shooting and went to the place accompanied by her mother. El Paso Police identified Roa as the shooter after interviewing adolescents and reviewing social networks and residential surveillance videos. He was arrested on March 3, 2023 and remained in jail during the judicial process.
Prosecutors Talisa Gutiérrez and José García represented the State in the case. As part of the guilt agreement, Roa renounced all his appeal rights.
“The case of Miss Adame is a tragedy. I had a lifetime ahead and still should be here,” said prosecutor Montoya. “Drug trafficking is a dangerous activity and, unfortunately, too many young people in the passage have lost their lives in robberies like this. If you commit violent acts, we will take you before justice and send you to prison.”
