Thread: Illegal immigrant guilty in western Pa. stabbing

Illegal immigrant guilty in western Pa. stabbing

Oct 22, 2010 9:50am

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) — An illegal Mexican immigrant has pleaded guilty in the stabbing death of his southwestern Pennsylvania neighbor in February, and will face deportation after he serves a 15- to 30-year prison sentence.
Twenty-five-year-old Samuel Juarez Cruz apologized through an interpreter Thursday, after pleading guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy in the death of 26-year-old Jose Medina, of Honduras.

Washington County prosecutors say both men were laborers living in a Canonsburg apartment building.

Still awaiting trial is 31-year-old Jose Herrera-Luciano, who is alleged to have stabbed Medina 38 times while Cruz held him down.

Cruz is expected to testify against Herrera-Luciano, who has pleaded not guilty and remains jailed.

www.necn.com

Nov 6, 2010 2:26 pm US/Eastern

Jury Selection To Begin In Pa. Laborer's Death

CANONSBURG, Pa. (AP) ― Jury selection is scheduled to begin Monday for a man accused of stabbing his southwestern Pennsylvania neighbor to death while another neighbor held him.

Thirty-one-year-old Jose Herrera-Luciano, an illegal immigrant from Mexico, is charged with first-degree murder in the February death of 26-year-old Jose Medina, a Honduran day worker. Authorities say Medina's body was found Feb. 28 along railroad tracks, and he had been stabbed 38 times.

Washington County prosecutors say both men lived in a Canonsburg apartment building, as did 25-year-old Samuel Juarez Cruz, who pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and conspiracy last month. He was sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison. Herrera-Luciano declined a similar offer from prosecutors on Friday.

Herrera-Luciano has denied taking part in the murder. His trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 17.

http://kdka.com