Teen gets 40 years in prison for 'cold-blooded' murder of US Border Patrol agent in California By ELLIOT SPAGAT , Associated Press
Last update: April 29, 2010 - 6:09 PM Click here to find out more! Print this storyPrint this story E-mail this storyE-mail this story
SAN DIEGO - A 17-year-old Mexican was sentenced to 40 years in prison Thursday for murdering a U.S. Border Patrol agent who was lured from his vehicle during an attempted robbery and shot repeatedly in the head.
Defendant Christian Daniel Castro Alvarez, described as a one-time smuggler of illegal immigrants, sat with his head down throughout the hearing, as the wife and sisters of 30-year-old Robert Rosas emotionally described how his execution shattered their lives.
Castro wrote a letter, read in court by the judge, saying he was "extremely sorry" and wished he could turn back the clock.
The sentencing came as a tough, new law in Arizona thrust illegal immigration back into the national spotlight. The law requires local and state law enforcement officers to question people about their immigration status if there's reason to suspect they're in the country illegally.
U.S. District Judge M. James Lorenz said the "cold-blooded killing" of Rosas changed the dynamics along the U.S.-Mexico border by making agents more fearful for their safety.
"Agents now have to question if they will be ambushed," he said.
Alluding to the robbery attempt, Lorenz said Border Patrol agents must now worry about being attacked "over night-vision goggles or some other ridiculous thing."
Uniformed Border Patrol agents and family members of Rosas in the packed courtroom burst into applause after the judge announced the sentence.
The circumstances of the killing were not entirely clear.
Rosas was shot eight times in the head, neck and torso while on solo patrol the night of July 23, 2009 in a rugged, remote mountainous area near Campo, about 60 miles east of San Diego. He was shot repeatedly from behind.
His body was found with his wallet less than 100 yards from the border. His vehicle was nearby with the engine running and headlights on.
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