A Chula Vista man who shot Robert Soria and Pamela Burgos to death the same night in 2015 was sentenced Wednesday to two consecutive terms of life in prison without the possibilty of parole.
Luiz Alberto Ruiz, 29, a documented gang member with the nickname of “Pelon”, also received a consecutive term of 75 years plus another 46-year prison term for related crimes.
Soria’s wife and four family members of the two victims spoke about the effect of the July 2015 murders had on their families.
Pamela Burgos, 24, who was also known as Luaiza Burgos de la Torre, was no random victim. Court documents show she was targeted because she was a witness in another shooting case, and that Ruiz had contacted her two weeks earlier.
Chula Vista Superior Court Judge Ana Espana ordered Ruiz to pay $6,255.36 in restitution to the crime victim’s compensation fund which helped pay for the victims’ funeral expenses.
Soria, 25, was shot first at 11 p.m. on July 9, 2015 while walking in the Palm City area. A 22-year-old friend who was walking with him was also wounded.
Witnesses said Soria and his friend were standing at the intersection of Palm Avenue and Desty Street when a man opened fire. Soria died at the hospital and his friend survived.
About an hour later, Burgos was shot several times while walking in the 300 block of Quintard Avenue in Chula Vista. Burgos was walking with a man who was not injured.
Espana also fined Ruiz $10,000. If Ruiz gets a job with prison wages or if someone puts money on his account, a portion of it will be deducted to pay the restitution and fine.
The judge noted that Ruiz had served 672 days in jail since his arrest on Sept. 11, 2015 by Chula Vista and San Diego Police Departments. His jail credits are moot because he will never be released.
Ruiz made several outbursts in court, but did not make a statement. He pleaded guilty in March to two counts of first-degree murder with the special circumstances of multiple homicides, murder during an attempted robbery, and murder in association with a criminal street gang.
Ruiz also pleaded guilty to attempted murder of Soria’s friend and to personally using a gun during the homicides and attempted murder.
Deputy District Attorney Matthew Williams said Ruiz received 25 year consecutive terms for the three victims who were shot which added up to 75 years.
The 46-year sentence includes 18 years for attempted murder plus 10 years for the gang allegation and the rest includes penalties for prior convictions and other matters, said Williams.
Ruiz was sentenced in 2010 to seven years in prison for assault with a deadly weapon in which someone was stabbed twice. He was also convicted of resisting arrest in April, 2015 when he punched an officer several times in the head, according to court records.
