Drug trafficker gets life in prison for kidnapping, killing U.S. teen in Tijuana

Federal courthouse in downtown San Diego Photo by Chris Stone Times of San Diego A man convicted in the kidnapping and killing of an -year-old U S citizen in Tijuana was sentenced in San Diego federal court Wednesday to life in prison Brian Alexis Patron Lopez was uncovered guilty by a San Diego federal jury for the abduction and shooting death of Miguel Anthony Rendon a San Diego resident who was kidnapped from a Tijuana hotel then beaten and tortured while his captors demanded a ransom of money or drugs from his family Prosecutors say Rendon had initially agreed to transfer just over two pounds of methamphetamine across the territory line but stole the package leading to the retaliatory kidnapping in May by Patron Lopez and others Following the abduction and torture prosecutors say Patron Lopez took Rendon to a deserted hillside and shot him multiple times Mexican functionaries discovered his body on the hillside about a week later Four others were charged in the situation for various roles in the abduction pleaded guilty and have been sentenced to prison terms ranging from five years to nearly a dozen years behind bars Patron Lopez was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment for counts of hostage taking resulting in death and conspiracy to commit hostage taking resulting in death Those counts carry mandatory minimum sentences of life in prison He also received a -year sentence for a count of intentional killing while engaged in drug trafficking All three prison terms will be served concurrently Defense attorney Meghan Blanco argued Wednesday that despite the mandatory life terms such a sentence represented a violation of the Eighth Amendment s provisions against cruel and rare punishment Blanco noted her client was years old at the time of the killing with no prior criminal history yet was facing a disproportionately higher sentence than his co-defendants The attorney noted that while prosecutors alleged Patron Lopez was the shooter the jury s verdict contained no special findings indicating their belief that he was the shooter U S District Judge William Hayes commented that per his knowledge of the episode as the judge who sat through the trial he maintained Patron Lopez was involved in the victim s kidnapping and torture and was also the executioner The judge also mentioned per his review of other cases involving mandatory life sentences it would not be unconstitutional to impose life sentences against Patron Lopez Wednesday s sentencing hearing also included a comment from Emma Medrano the victim s mother I want him to understand we are living a life sentence too a life without Anthony s voice his smile his future she declared I want this man to carry the weight of what he did for the rest of his life