Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Elderly Dragging Death

Belmonte plead guilty to the murder

A man who confessed to robbing then dragging and killing a 76-year-old woman with his truck will serve 60 years in jail and pay a $10,000 fine, a jury decided Thursday.

29-year-old Rogelio Belmonte pleaded guilty to the murder of Sabra Leavy, 76, after he dragged the her underneath his truck in the parking lot of a Forest Lane Walmart.

During testimony, witnesses said Belmonte, and his passenger and then-girlfriend, Kaitlin Edmonson, took off laughing and left Leavy to die. Witnesses also said Edmonson and Belmonte were on methamphetamine during the incident.

Thursday morning, jurors heard from two of Belmonte's sisters, Cris Olvera and Veronica Belmonte, as well as his 65-year-old mother Yolanda Olvera. All three testified that Belmonte's problems with drugs led him to crime.

The three acknowledged that drug abuse is not an excuse for his behavior that led to the death of Sabra Leavy, but they said they hope the jury shows him mercy because the drugs make him someone he's not.

Edmonson is still facing robbery charges.

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