Saturday, August 2, 2008


Jose Epifanio Ayala Nunez

An illegal immigrant from Honduras received a 109-year sentence after he pleaded guilty in 100th District Court in Wellington on Thursday to charges of sexual assault.

Jose Epifanio Ayala Nunez, 42, originally was indicted on 13 felony counts for his involvement in three burglaries in Wellington that resulted in an attempted aggravated sexual assault and two aggravated sexual assaults during a five-week period in March and April.

District Judge Stuart Messer accepted Nunez's guilty plea to two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault of an elderly woman, for which he received a life sentence in the Texas Department of Corrections.

In addition, he received a 10-year stacked sentence on two counts of first-degree aggravated sexual assault, which equals a total of 109 years, 100th District Attorney Luke Inman reported.

"Our first priority in these case was to satisfy the victims and to make certain this man would never be able to do this again," Inman said in a written statement.

"This plea accomplishes this goal and brings closure to many families affected by Nunez's heinous acts towards these women."

-Staff writer Dan Packard

http://www.amarillo.com/stories/080208/ ... 1284.shtml