A Las Cruces man was sentenced to life in prison for the capital murder of an El Paso man during an ambush to steal about 10 pounds of marijuana.
An El Paso jury convicted Robron Lewis, 27, of capital murder on Tuesday, July 14, for shooting Jacal Jacob Allen, 23, to death in a McDonald’s parking lot in West El Paso, court records show. The capital murder happened on Oct. 28, 2021, at 7900 N. Mesa St. near Interstate-10.
Lewis received an automatic life sentence because the El Paso District Attorney’s Office was not seeking the death penalty.
The jury deliberated for more than three hours before reaching the guilty verdict after hearing testimony during the six-day trial.
Judge William Moody of the 34th District Court presided over the trial at the Enrique Moreno County Courthouse. Assistant District Attorneys Enrique Esparza and Talisa Gutierrez prosecuted the case for the district attorney’s office.
El Paso District Attorney James Montoya declined to comment on the verdict because Lewis’ co-defendant, Tranquil Jovan Card Jr., is still awaiting trial on a capital murder charge. Card is set to go to trial on Sept. 21, court records show.
Capital murder over 10 pounds of weed
Allen and his girlfriend planned to meet Card, who the girlfriend only knew by the name of “Parlay,” to sell him about 10 pounds of marijuana. The drug deal was set up over text messages.
The couple parked in the McDonald’s parking lot about 9:50 p.m. when Card and Lewis approached the car with guns, the affidavit states.
Lewis “immediately shot at” Allen while he was still in the driver’s seat, the affidavit states. The shot went through the driver’s side window and struck Allen. Allen exited the car and was attacked and shot several more times.
As Allen laid on the ground bleeding, Lewis opened Allen’s rear car door and grabbed a large black trash bag containing the marijuana, the affidavit states. Allen died in the restaurant’s parking lot.
An off-duty El Paso Police Department officer who was nearby witnessed the shooting. The officer heard the gunshots, saw a man fall to the ground and a white Chevrolet Malibu flee the parking lot.
The officer followed the car and provided the information to other officers before the off-duty officer lost sight of the vehicle.
El Paso police conduct manhunt in UTEP area
Officers found the Chevrolet in a parking lot at UTEP. A large number of El Paso officers arrived and began conducting a manhunt for the suspects.
The men went into UTEP’s Union Building, as security cameras showed. Officers found Card and Lewis hiding behind a curtain on an auditorium stage, the affidavit states.
Card, who was found with the Chevrolet’s car keys, told officers he set up the meeting with Allen to “discuss business,” the affidavit states. He allegedly said he drove off after Lewis shot Allen.
He added that he didn’t have any money to pay for the marijuana, the affidavit states. Lewis and Card had “nefarious intentions” against Allen and always planned to steal the marijuana, the affidavit states.
Card remains jailed at the El Paso County Jail Annex on a $2 million bond as he awaits trial, jail records show. Defendants facing capital murder charges often experience long waits in jail before going to trial.
Aaron Martinez covers the criminal justice system for the El Paso Times. He may be reached at amartinez1@elpasotimes.com.
This article originally appeared on El Paso Times: Las Cruces man gets life sentence in marijuana robbery killing
Reporting by Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times / El Paso Times
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By Aaron Martinez, El Paso Times | USA TODAY Network
