A man who was only 15 when he fatally shot a man was sentenced to 30 years in prison Tuesday in a plea deal.
Raul Cervera, now 20, pleaded no contest to murder in the 2018 killing of Abram Garcia, 20. Cervera fatally shot Garcia during a drug deal at a Drury Lane apartment complex.
Though Cervera was 15 at the time of the killing, he was certified to stand trial as an adult after a 2019 court hearing.
During that hearing, Cervera’s attorneys put on witnesses who argued that Cervera had a troubled childhood.
“He was exposed, I would say, to some pretty intense violence,” Dr. John Matthew Fabian testified in 2019.
Denise Castillo, Garcia’s mother, gave victim impact statements after the sentencing today and said the 30 years was not enough.
Cervera, who will receive credit for the 933 days he has already spent in jail, will be eligible for parole after serving at least 15 years of his prison sentence.