Man found guilty of killing Gwinnett County father at baby shower learns his fate
A Gwinnett County man convicted of killing a father at a baby shower will spend life in prison after a judge sentenced him Friday.
Angel Mendoza-Ramirez and his family went to a baby shower two years never expecting it to end with a murder.
The family has waited all this time for justice.
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'Losing my dad, Angel, has left me a huge painful emptiness. I know I can never feel again,' Hector Cruz Aranda said.
A Gwinnett County courtroom overflowed with grief Friday as families faced the reality of a murder conviction.
A judge sentenced 28-year-old Esteven Avila-Vega to life with a chance for parole. Mendoza's family asked for life without parole.
'Angel was not just my husband. He was my best friend, my partner in life, a loving father to our children. He was our provider, our protector, the center of my family,' Mendoza's wife Marisol Aranda said.
Mendoza died in 2023 when prosecutors say Avila-Vega shot and killed him for taking his gun away during tense moments at the family event.
Mendoza's wife and some of his children delivered tearful impact statements, including his 10-year-old who spoke about his father's final words to him.
'On the last day, on the day of the baby shower, I had a game, and the last thing he said to me is, 'I'm so proud of you,'' he said.
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The defense also reminded the judge of Avila-Vega's 10-year-old daughter, asking for mercy.
'I'd ask the court to please take that into consideration, at least allow her dad one day to be able to kiss her on the cheek, or to hug her,' his defense attorney said.
In the end, two families are forever changed by one violent night.
'I will forever have a void that will never be filled. The defendant made a choice that he will never be forgiven for,' Mendoza's daughter, Vanessa, said.
Avila Vega himself stood up and apologized to Mendoza's family before his sentence. He will be eligible for parole in 35 years when he's in his 60s.
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