Trio sentenced for deadly home invasion in Edinburg

EDINBURG, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Three men were sentenced Wednesday for their role in a deadly home invasion in 2012.

Jesse Joe Mata, Juan Antonio Moreno and Alberto Vela were sentenced on charges of conspiracy to distribute marijuana and discharging a firearm during a drug trafficking crime , federal records show.

Deadly home invasion

Just after 2 a.m. on April 12, 2012, deputies with the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office were dispatched to a home on the 7100 block of Rambo Street in Edinburg. There, deputies found two men who had been shot.

One of the victims was identified as Victor Serna, who was the homeowner. The second victim was identified as Serna's 21-year-old son, Eric.

Eric told investigators that he was asleep in his room with his wife and child when he heard someone breaking in through the front door. After he got up from his bed, he encountered a man with a rifle, and began struggling with him for control of the gun, a criminal complaint stated.

At this point, Victor came out of his bedroom with a gun to aid Eric.

"While struggling with this man, another man came from behind Victor Serna and shot him in the back of the head and then shot Eric Serna in the stomach and leg," the complaint stated.

Victor died the following day and Eric was hospitalized.

Investigation

Investigators were notified later that day that a man was transported to the Edinburg Regional Children's Hospital with a gunshot wound to the stomach by Juan Antonio Moreno. Moreno was questioned by investigators, and admitted his involvement in the home invasion, saying that he drove around the area as a lookout while others broke into the home, according to a criminal complaint

_{Left: Jesse Joe Mata. Right: Juan Antonio Moreno (Hidalgo County Jail)}

Moreno also said that his nephew, Jesse Joe Mata, drove a Ford Explorer to the home for the purpose of transporting the marijuana they planned to steal. While Moreno was conducting surveillance, he met up with Mata and saw a man in the Ford Explorer that had been shot during the home invasion, and then drove him to the hospital.

Mata was also questioned, and told investigators that he and Moreno, along with other men, met up nearby. One of the men had a rifle, he added.

After this meeting, four men got into an SUV, while Mata drove a Ford Explorer and Moreno drove a Grand Prix. Mata said he followed the SUV to the home, where he saw several men from the SUV break in to the house. Shortly after, Mata said a man came out carrying marijuana and put it into the SUV. He then heard shots and saw another man who had been shot jump into the Ford Explorer, the complaint stated.

A release from the U.S. Attorney's Office stated that Moreno contacted members of the Tri-City Bombers gang to assist with the home invasion.

Arrests

Mata and Moreno were arrested by the Hidalgo County Sheriff's Office and charged with capital murder by terror threat/other felony on April 23, 2012. Former Hidalgo County Sheriff Lupe Trevino identified Alberto Vela as the third suspect, noting that he was hospitalized at the time after he was shot by Victor Serna.

On June 11 of the next year, Mata and Moreno were transferred to federal custody, and 14 days later, an arrest warrant was issued for Alberto Vela.

Records show the state charges against Mata and Moreno of capital murder were dismissed in November 2013 upon the federal indictment.

On Aug. 4, 2014, the men signed a plea agreement for the federal charges that would decrease the offense level by two.

Sentencing

Sentencing was held Wednesday before Chief District Judge Randy Crane.

Jesse Joe Mata was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the charge of violent crime and six years for the count of conspiracy to distribute marijuana. The sentences will run consecutively. He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release.

Juan Antonio Moreno was sentenced to 9.5 and 10 years in prison, which will also run consecutively.

Alberto Vela was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison with three years of supervised release. His supervised release includes a special condition of attending an outpatient drug treatment program.

All three men were ordered to jointly pay $6,839 to Ms. Serna in restitution.