EDINBURG — A tense scene unfolded Monday morning during a 26-year-old man’s plea hearing for his involvement in the murder of a 32-year-old Edinburg man in 2017.
Benjamin Chavez Sanchez, co-defendant to Gabino Salinas, 37, the convicted mastermind behind the kidnapping and revenge killing of Jose Angel Martinez, appeared before state District Judge Letty Lopez who questioned the defendant about his actions during that fateful night.
Sanchez, however, was reluctant to speak.
He pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison with a little more than five years in jail credit for Martinez’s Nov. 8, 2017, murder.
Martinez died after he was kidnapped, beaten, dragged from Salinas’ vehicle before his throat was slit and his body was dismembered.
Sanchez was initially charged with capital murder, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, aggravated kidnapping and possession of marijuana. The latter three charges were dropped as part of the plea deal.
Lopez questioned Sanchez during his hearing after he continuously looked at his attorney, Jaime Aleman, before responding to any questions the court asked, specifically when he entered his guilty plea.
“I need to know you’re doing this out of your own free will,” Lopez said.
When the judge began to ask of his involvement during the kidnapping and murder, Sanchez became hesitant and refused to speak.
Aleman stated that his client fears retaliation from gang affiliates and other co-defendants.
Lopez reminded Sanchez that Salinas was sentenced to life without parole, adding that she can still decide to take the case to trial.
Whispers from the crowd came from Sanchez’s brother and mother who muttered that Sanchez didn’t do it.
Sanchez told Lopez that he didn’t know the plan — or if there was one — when he, Salinas and another co-defendant went into the Edinburg residence that Martinez resided in, but he admitted to carrying a pistol at the time.
After his sentencing, Aleman asked Lopez if Sanchez would be allowed to hug his family members before being taken back to jail, which she granted.
“Take care,” Sanchez said to his crying mother.
The remaining suspects in the case are 49-year-old Hector Ruben Guerra and 32-year-old Sandy Lutz, both of Edinburg, who have pleaded not guilty to indictments charging them with capital murder, aggravated kidnapping and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
They are scheduled for status hearing in their cases in March.
Both Lutz and Guerra have remained held in the Hidalgo County Adult Detention Center since their November 2017 arrests. Guerra is held on $1,050,000 in bonds while Lutz is held on $300,000 in bonds.
As for Salinas, a jury convicted him of capital murder following a trial last April and he was sentenced to life without parole. He has appealed.
He is currently serving his sentence in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Mark W. Stiles Unit near Beaumont.
