Fresno man sentenced for double killing. Outraged victims’ families say it’s not enough
A 21-year-old Fresno man convicted of two murders was sentenced to 18 years in prison Monday as relatives of the victims called the outcome an injustice.
Christopher Lenore Sanders, 21, pleaded no contest to charges he killed Jesse Villanueva, 28, and Peniamina “Ben” Romero, 17. Police said the two men were shot to death after an apparent dispute outside of the West Shaw Estates condominiums near Shaw and Marks avenues on July 30, 2018. Sanders was also charged with shooting a third victim who survived.
“The fact that you guys are taking an 18-year plea for murdering two people is never going to sit right with me,” said Corinne Villanueva, the widow of Jesse Villanueva. “You guys have to do better.”
Corrine Villanueva had been married to her husband for 10 years, and they have three children.
“I can never get my husband back, and my children will never get their father back,” she said. “He will forever be missed.”
Jessica Romero, the mother of Peniamino Romero, who also went by “Boy Boy,” wrote a letter to Judge Arlan L Harrell.
In her letter, she acknowledged her son wasn’t perfect, but she said he always looked out for her or anyone in the community who needed help.
“I can not explain how hard this has been for me. I miss him so much,” she wrote. “He is the reason I turned my life around. My other boys are affiliated, and I always prepare myself for a bad phone call. I just didn’t think it would be about Boy Boy.”
The family members wanted a stronger punishment for Sanders, who was 18 at the time of the killings.
Sanders was facing the possibility of life in prison without the possibility of parole had the case gone to trial, and a jury found him guilty on all the charges.
But the case proved to be problematic for prosecutors. There were conflicting witness statements about what happened, and proving first-degree murder might be a challenge.
Prosecutor Tim Galstan and Sanders’s attorney Miles Harris worked for several weeks on a plea deal that ultimately involved Sanders pleading no contest to the two murders and assault with a firearm in exchange for an 18-year prison sentence.
In November, the agreement was moving forward until it reached Judge Jon Kapetan. The judge was swayed by the victim’s relatives who spoke about their loss and the seeming unfairness of the plea deal.
Kapetan tossed the plea agreement, setting the stage for Sanders to face a jury trial.
But that never happened. Instead of assigning the case to a courtroom for a trial, Harrell, the presiding judge, accepted the plea agreement.
Harrell said he understood the relative’s concerns but he must base his decision on the facts presented to him.
“In this instance, the people determined that they could not prove murder,” Harrell said. “There was a killing of a human being, but was it murder or manslaughter? In this case, the evidence suggests it is manslaughter. I am extremely sorry for your loss, but please understand we make decisions on evidence and what can be proven in a court of law.”
