Executive Summary
- Julio Bautista-Martinez and Henry Ramirez were sentenced to life in prison with parole eligibility after 22 years.
- The defendants pled guilty to the April 13 shooting deaths of cousins Carlos Gael Garcia and Luis Santiago Esquivel.
- The incident originated from a verbal altercation outside a banquet hall on East Owens Avenue.
- Defense attorneys cited a lack of premeditation and substance use as contributing factors.
Two Las Vegas men were sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for the fatal shooting of two cousins during a confrontation outside a banquet hall earlier this year. District Judge Jacqueline Bluth ordered Julio Bautista-Martinez, 24, and Henry Ramirez, 27, to serve life terms with the possibility of parole after 22 years following their guilty pleas.
Both defendants pled guilty in November to one count each of murder with the use of a deadly weapon. The sentencing hearing at the Regional Justice Center finalized the plea agreement reached between prosecutors and defense attorneys, which stipulated the 22-years-to-life term. Judge Bluth, adhering to the negotiation, described the slayings as “just so tragic and just so quick and senseless.”
The shooting took place on April 13 in the 3900 block of East Owens Avenue. According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, a verbal altercation occurred as the victims, cousins Carlos Gael Garcia, 21, and Luis Santiago Esquivel, 24, were leaving a party at the venue. The confrontation escalated rapidly, resulting in the fatal gunfire.
During the proceedings, family members of the victims provided emotional victim impact statements. Janeth Sanchez, the mother of Luis Santiago Esquivel, told the court her son was shot 11 times and died witnessing his cousin’s death. She expressed dismay at the sentence length, characterizing the minimum 22-year term as “an insult” relative to the loss of life. Angela Rodriguez-Garcia, stepmother to Carlos Gael Garcia, stated that their family had been “shattered” by the event.
Defense counsel emphasized that the violence was not premeditated. Chief Deputy Special Public Defender Jin Kim-Steadman noted in a sentencing memorandum that Ramirez had been under the influence of alcohol and marijuana and was reacting to the noise and crowd. Both defendants addressed the court to express remorse, with Bautista-Martinez acknowledging he made a “bad decision” and Ramirez stating he wished he could “reset time.”
Judicial Resolution and Sentencing Parameters
This case highlights the utilization of plea agreements in the Clark County judicial system to secure convictions in homicide cases while avoiding the unpredictability of jury trials. Under Nevada law, a life sentence with the possibility of parole requires the defendants to serve the entirety of the minimum term—in this case, 22 years—before becoming eligible for a hearing before the Nevada Board of Parole Commissioners. The outcome guarantees decades of incarceration while legally closing the case for the victims’ families without further appellate delays.
