HOUSTON — A Houston man was sentenced to five decades in prison for killing his friend five years ago.
Christopher Joseph Cruz, 26, shot and killed Raymond James Lindgren in on Jan. 24, 2018. Lindgren left behind his wife and two children.
Last week, Cruz pleaded guilty to murder and a judge sentenced him to 50 years in prison.
"This was a premeditated murder, and the defendant thought he could lie his way out of any responsibility," Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. "Now, he will spend decades in prison for the decisions he made."
What happened
On the day of the shooting, Lindgren was working on his car with another man outside his apartment complex in southwest Houston. A witness said Cruz and Lindgren were arguing over the phone when Cruz drove to the complex and opened fire on Lindgren and the other man. Lindgren was killed and the other man was wounded.
When the other man tried to drive away from the scene, Cruz fired more shots at him.
"If this defendant had one more bullet, he would have killed the second man as well, and then it would have been a double murder," Assistant District Attorney Alycia Harvey said. "His actions that day were serious, and his sentence reflects how serious it was."
Trying to get away
After the shooting, Cruz, an American citizen, fled to Honduras. After spending a year there, he turned himself in and was deported back to the United States to face the charges.
In court, Cruz said he killed Lindgren in sudden passion due to the argument. The judge disagreed.
Cruz will have to serve at least half of his sentence before he's eligible for parole.
