Two more people sentenced for carjacking and kidnapping an FBI employee in South Dakota

RAPID CITY, S.D. -- The past 2 members of a trio who carjacked and kidnapped an FBI worker successful South Dakota successful 2022 person been sentenced to lengthy situation sentences.

Deyvin Morales, 29, was sentenced Friday to 47 years successful prison, the Rapid City Journal reported. At the aforesaid hearing, 29-year-old Karla Lopez-Gutierrez, was sentenced to much than 26 years successful prison.

The 3rd idiosyncratic progressive successful the crime, Juan Alvarez-Sorto, 25, was sentenced earlier this period to 37 years.

Alvarez-Sorto and Morales had pleaded not blameworthy to kidnapping, carjacking and different crimes, but were convicted successful January. Alvarez-Sorto besides was convicted of unlawfully entering the U.S. aft being deported to his location country, El Salvador. Lopez-Gutierrez pleaded blameworthy successful August to aiding and abetting kidnapping and a weapons charge.

At the proceeding connected Friday, the unfortunate said the assailants “showed maine nary mercy” earlier helium was capable to escape.

“You had everything of excavation already,” helium said. “Why did you person to kidnap me?”

Prosecutors said the 3 attackers near Greeley, Colorado, connected May 5, 2022, and were connected a “drug trafficking trip” to South Dakota successful a Ford Expedition. Nearly retired of state astatine the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Morales told the others they needed to “take over” a caller vehicle, Lopez-Gutierrez testified successful January.

A abbreviated clip later, the FBI worker speeding successful his Dodge Durango saw the Expedition and pulled over, believing it was a tribal officer. Prosecutors said the suspects took the Durango astatine gunpoint and forced the unfortunate to spell along. The unfortunate said Alvarez-Sorto threatened his household and held a weapon to the backmost of his caput arsenic helium was facedown successful the Badlands.

When the radical stopped to bargain state and zip ties successful the municipality of Hermosa, South Dakota, the unfortunate decided to effort and escape. He said astatine the proceeding that helium crawled implicit Morales and “clawed” his mode retired of the car. Morales grabbed his overgarment and the unfortunate fell, but managed to get to his feet. He “ran similar a chickenhearted with my caput chopped off” to get away, helium said.

Morales and Alvarez-Sorto were arrested successful Greeley a week later. Lopez-Gutierrez was arrested successful August 2022 successful Loveland, Colorado.

Morales' attorney, Jonathan McCoy asked the justice for a condemnation of 20-25 years. He said Morales was granted asylum successful 2017 due to the fact that a pack successful Guatemala wanted to termination him.

“Deportation sentences him to decease successful Guatemala,” McCoy said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri said Morales squandered “the bully volition of our country" successful committing the crime.

“It’s perfectly shameful," Jehangiri said. "Asylum was to flight pack activity, and present you’re progressive successful pack activity.”

The lawyer for Lopez-Gutierrez, besides sought a lenient sentence, citing successful portion the information that she is simply a parent of 3 and has taken work for her role.

“I americium precise sorry,” Lopez-Gutierrez said done tears astatine the hearing. “I apologize to him and his household for the symptom I’ve caused.”