CORPUS CHRISTI — A Corpus Christi man was sentenced to 55 years in prison Friday for killing a neighbor who spurned his romantic advances.
Pedro Bustinza, 47, was found guilty of murder in the May 11, 2010, stabbing death of Elisa Garcia Rodriguez. His fate was decided by 347th District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos because he opted for a bench trial.
Bustinza faced a minimum of 25 years behind bars and as long as life in prison because of his status as a habitual felony offender.
Before he was led away, Rodriguez’s mother stood before Bustinza and promised to fight any chance he has of an early release.
“I’m going to be there. My family is going to be there,” she said. “We’re going to make sure you stay there the whole 55 years.”
Rodriguez’s ex-husband and son found the 46-year old dead in her apartment in the 1900 block of Jasmine Court.
Police have said forensic evidence along with a police interview with Bustinza, a suspected gang member, led to his arrest.
Rodriguez’s father, Robert Garcia, called Bustinza an animal for killing his daughter, who he said suffered from cerebral palsy, a condition that forced her to walk with a limp.
Rodriguez’s son, also named Robert, said he and his father went to his mother’s apartment that day after his calls went unanswered. He said once he saw his mother’s body he had to leave to shield his then 4-year-old son from the scene.
He still struggles with how to explain her death to the boy, who often asks for her.
“I can’t really even explain it to him. He’s so small,” he said.
Bustinza denied killing Rodriguez and laughed when the prosecution brought up that Rodriguez told people before her death that he often made sexual advances toward her.
He also testified about his childhood, saying he was molested by two relatives and spent time in foster homes. He said he is an alcoholic and once tried to jump from a bridge in a suicide attempt.
At one point, he launched into a mostly unintelligible rant that included his account that voices in his head led by what he called a dispatcher had ordered him to do bad things.
He couldn’t remember his attorney’s full name and also claimed that people who testified only were pretending to be Rodriguez’s parents.
A psychiatrist who found Bustinza competent to stand trial noted that Bustinza suffers from chemical dependence and a schizophrenia disorder that requires medication.
Bustinza’s attorney, Robert Berg, argued Bustinza wasn’t entirely to blame because of his mental issues.
Prosecutors Mike Gordon and Andrea Koch both pointed out Bustinza had chances to get help and that a tough childhood and mental issues didn’t excuse the killing.
"Where is the shame? Where is the remorse?” Gordon asked. “He knows what he did was wrong. His mental illness did not cause him to do this.”
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