Fresno man sentenced for 2018 murder in county jail. Judge wanted to give him more
A Fresno man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for killing a 19-year-old Reedley man while both were inmates at the Fresno County jail.
Investigators said Alex Pacheco, 32, strangled Lorenzo Herrera in his jail cell on March 24, 2018. Pacheco pleaded no contest in March to second-degree murder and on Thursday received the maximum sentence from Judge Jon Kapetan.
The judge appeared frustrated that he couldn’t give Pacheco a longer prison term.
“I am sorry but I have to say this is outrageous,” he said. “This kid was 19 years old. I don’t know why he was in jail, but it really doesn’t matter.”
Herrera and two others were arrested in January 2018 for burglarizing an occupied home in Kingsburg and leading law enforcement on a chase. He did not have a previous criminal record and had been in jail only 66 days before he was murdered.
His mother, Anna Herrera, spoke during Pacheco’s sentencing, recalling fond memories of her football-loving son.
Growing up in Reedley, Herrera played youth football in the Pop Warner league and later at Reedley High School. She thought about wearing his football jersey to court, but she forgot she said. His jersey number was 62.
“He went to Fresno City College and got a position as a maintenance person,” she said. “We were all so happy for him.”
But the good memories aren’t enough to erase the bad ones, she said. She still remembers the day she learned Lorenzo was dead. At first, she didn’t believe it, then reality set in.
“That was the day our whole world came crumbling down,” she said. “It just didn’t make any sense to us. I have been numb ever since. I used to be a happy-go-lucky person, as was my son. But things have not been the same.”
Prosecutor Tim Galstan said the family was devastated over their son’s death.
“I want the court to know that this has severely affected them as I have seen with my interactions with them,” he said. “And I hope everything comes out best for the family.”
Pacheco did not speak during his sentencing. He will begin serving his 15-year-to-life sentence after he is done serving a 14-year prison term for a 2015 robbery and assault case.
Police said Pacheco broke into the backyard of a pregnant woman’s home in Fresno, forced her inside, choked her and then stole thousands of dollars before fleeing. He was convicted and sentenced in July 2018.
Herrera’s family filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against Fresno County in September 2019 blaming the Sheriff’s Office for his death. The lawsuit accused the county jail of being understaffed.
The case was settled in January. The details were not disclosed.
