Posted: 5:34 p.m. Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011

Barrio Azteca member sentenced to 45 years

Victor Gomez breaks down in tears after sentence read

By Jacob Rascon
EL PASO, Texas —

A Barrio Azteca gang member broke down in tears on Tuesday after a judge read his sentence: 45 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

On Friday, an El Paso Jury found Victor Gomez, 31, not guilty of capital murder in the 2009 brutal deaths of brothers Jesus and Jose Vargas in Socorro, but guilty of engaging in organized criminal activity related to their deaths. He faced up to life in prison.

For a day and a half, during the sentencing phase of the trial, witnesses testified about Gomez' various unrelated felony charges including kidnapping and beating his ex-wife. Assistant District Attorney Dana Irwin argued for the maximum sentence during closing arguments.

"(Gomez) chose the Barrio Azteca and when you choose (them) you do what they say," she told the jury. "That's a choice he made. ... Hold him responsible for his whole criminal career. ... You have enough to sentence him to life in prison."

Later, she told KFOX-14, "I think it was a very good sentence ... I think that the result that we got was the right result for this case and the facts that came out in this case."

Gomez did not visibly react to the sentence at first but when brought before the judge, he started shaking because he was crying. Later, he sat down and wiped his tear with tissues. His sisters and other family members could also be seen crying in the courtroom.

"They're upset," defense attorney Joseph Vazquez said of the Gomez family. "Obviously, 45 years is a long time. And you know, he's in shock and the family's in shock. (Gomez) expected to get sentenced with a term of imprisonment ... but I don't think he expected something like this."

Vazquez said he was not surprised at the sentence since there was ample evidence to support the fact that Gomez commited various violent crimes unrelated to the Vargas murders.

Court records indicate that Gomez has been arrested at least 26 times in El Paso County starting when he was 16 on charges such as attempted murder, kidnapping, burglary, prison fighting, theft, evading arrest and others, and that he has been a member of the Barrio Azteca prison and street gang since 2000.

Alleged Barrio Azteca members Joe Alarcon and Jose Cordero have also been charged in the Vargas murders and are scheduled to be tried for them next year. A fourth man, also an alleged Barrio Azteca member, Ricardo Zuniga, who witnesses in the Gomez trial testified was the actual shooter, is on the run in Mexico according to the DA's Office.

Stay with KFOX-14 for new developments in the court proceedings related to the Vargas brothers murders.

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/news/barrio- ... ars/nFkSD/