BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) – A jury has convicted a 34-year-old Mexican national of capital murder in the 2014 killing of an off-duty Border Patrol agent.
Gustavo Tijerina-Sandoval could face the death penalty in the killing of Javier Vega Jr., who was fatally shot during a family fishing trip in southeast Texas. Sentencing is set for Thursday afternoon.
According to the Brownsville Herald , Tijerina-Sandoval was also convicted Wednesday of attempted capital murder for shooting and wounding Vega’s father.
Prosecutors say the shooting happened as part of an attempted robbery, but Tijerina-Sandoval’s attorney argued that his client was acting in self-defense.
A Border Patrol chiefs’ panel initially rejected Vega’s death as in the line of duty. The decision later was changed after authorities determined Vega pulled his gun trying to protect others.
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