Prison Sentence Cut in Half for Jose Mendoza

Jose Ricardo Mendoza

Another 2018 murder case was concluded today when forty-year-old Jose Ricardo Mendoza was handed a twenty-five year sentence for the murder of his father-in-law Gaspar Vargas. However, after deductions, Mendoza will only serve twelve of those years. Mendoza, represented by attorney Oscar Selgado, pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter, and received a one-third sentence deduction as a result. Attorney Selgado implored Justice Sandcroft to temper justice with mercy. Justice Sandcroft, however, reiterated that while, Mendoza may show signs of remorse, a life was still lost and a family heavily impacted. Vargas’ death took place in April 2018 after a domestic argument occurred between the father and son-in-law. The two had been drinking together at Vargas’ house, where Mendoza also resided on the upper flat, when the dispute began. The two men parted ways and Mendoza returned upstairs to speak with his, then, girlfriend, who he told to tell their two children goodbye. Mendoza produced a knife and returned to the lower level of the building where Vargas proceeded to stab him once. Hearing the cry of her father, his girlfriend rushed to the scene and Vargas was rushed to receive medical treatment when he succumbed to his injury. Justice Sandcroft referred to a victim impact statement which came from Vargas’ widow. In the report, she stated that her husband took care of his family and grandchildren in lieu of Mendoza. She further stated that the death had been a heavy financial burden for her as she had to borrow money in order to bury her husband and that the grief of losing her husband of thirty-four years had been so severe that she acquired multiple illnesses.  As a result, Mendoza received his twenty-five year sentence, of which he will serve twelve.