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Illegal immigrant passes up plea deal in Stuart slaying

By Megan V. Winslow (Contact)
Originally published 05:38 p.m., May 28, 2008
Updated 05:38 p.m., May 28, 2008




STUART — An illegal immigrant’s decision to refuse a plea deal in connection with the murder case against him means he now faces life in prison instead of 15 years if convicted as charged.

According to a Martin County Sheriff’s Office arrest report, Mexican citizen Robert Pedraza Carillo, also known as Roberto Pedraza-Carillo, fatally stabbed his roommate, 41-year-old Daniel Martinez, during an argument outside their Ellendale Street home on May 25, 2007.

Although Carillo originally faced second-degree murder charges and life in prison if convicted of the stabbing, the State Attorney’s Office extended a 15-year prison term offer if he agreed to plead to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Carillo denied the offer at a hearing for his case Wednesday, and Assistant State Attorney Nita Denton said she will now go forward with the second-degree murder charge.

A hearing on Carillo’s other case, violation of probation, was also continued on Wednesday. According to an arrest report, he was placed on probation for a year after battering a pregnant woman. He violated that probation by getting arrested for the stabbing.

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2008/may/28/ ... t-slaying/