Two brothers convicted of murder in a gang-related shooting were sentenced to life plus five years in prison Wednesday in what the judge described as “one of the most difficult cases I’ve had to hear.”
Cobb County Superior Court Judge Kenneth Nix said the killing of Eduardo Delgadillo, 19, on Oct. 4, 2008, was “a senseless act made even more senseless by the preliminary events.”
The judge said he was particularly troubled by the young age of the defendants, Eduardo and Gerardo Sifuentes, who were 18 and 22, respectively, when the shooting occurred.
The victim was a member of the Surenos 13 street gang, while the Sifuentes brothers are admitted Nortenos 14 gangsters. Tensions escalated between the rival gangs after Delgadillo’s wife had a run-in with a Nortenos gang member at Ivy Commons apartment complex in Austell. She testified during the trial that a Nortenos gang member walked behind her in the parking lot and muttered under his breath as if mocking her.
Delgadillo allegedly went to the complex later that afternoon to confront the Nortenos. The rival gangs had several subsequent confrontations throughout that day, but the dispute came to a head when Eduardo Sifuentes telephoned his brother and asked him to come over.
Police said Gerardo Sifuentes brought a 12-gauge shotgun. He fatally shot Delgadillo and wounded two other Surenos gang members, Elijah Espinoza and Mauricio Medina.
Assistant District Attorney Jesse Evans asked the court not to let the Sifuentes brothers off easily, noting that Eduardo Sifuentes had a juvenile record related to street gang involvement dating back to 2004.
“For years Eduardo Sifuentes has been on notice that his gang activity was going to get him into trouble,” Evans said.
The Sifuentes brothers will not be eligible for parole for 30 years.
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