‘Your action is pure evil.’ 16-year-old gets lighter murder sentence because of his age.
A 14-year-old planned to rob Julian Chavez when he got into the back of his car on Fifth Avenue in Kennewick more than two years ago.
Once inside Hector Pantoja, now 16, admitted Friday to firing the four shots that killed the 19-year-old over $100 in vape pens, marijuana and rolling papers.
“I’m here today your honor to take full responsibility for what happened that day,” Pantoja told Judge Joe Burrowes toward the end of a nearly four-hour sentencing hearing. “Nothing I say or do will take away the pain. ... I know it will never be enough.”
Pantoja’s 11-year sentence for first-degree murder was far too light for Chavez’s family, who are still struggling with their grief more than two years after the October 2022 shooting.
They brought pictures of the 19-year-old who planned to become a hairstylist. More than a dozen members of his family got up and spoke about his kindness, cheerfulness and what the loss has meant to them.
The family has annually walked through the area where Chavez was shot to remember him. He was only days away from his 20th birthday when he was killed.
“Losing Julian has been one of the hardest experiences our family has faced,” family members posted on Facebook. “We still feel that justice has not been fully served.”
His mother, Tina Chavez, said if she had her way Pantoja would never get out of prison.
“You should not murder,” she said. “When a person takes someone’s life, multiple people die with them. ... I no longer enjoy the simple things in life. I no longer see the world as I used to. ... It just seems like it’s black all of the time. ... Every day I feel like there is no purpose.”
Burrowes chastised Pantoja even though he followed the sentencing recommendation. He urged the teen to use the resources to rehabilitate himself.
“I will say to the defendant, ‘Your action is pure evil,’” the judge said. “I don’t know how you rehabilitate an individual who conducted such evil acts. But I have hope that you can. And you reflect on what you’ve done and become a better person.”
14-year-old with a murder charge
Pantoja’s case has hung in limbo between adult and juvenile courts for more than a year. Prosecutors initially tried to move it out of juvenile court and into adult court.
After a hearing in 2023, Burrowes agreed to move the case to adult court. As the Washington state Court of Appeals was reviewing the decision, Benton County prosecutors asked for the case to come back to the county for a hearing about whether racial bias occurred.
The appellate court judges agreed it should.
A juvenile conviction for first-degree murder would only keep Pantoja in custody as little as three years. While the adult conviction for the crime carried a range of 20 to nearly 27 years.
Prosecutor Eric Eisinger and Brian Hultgrenn put together a deal that allowed for a longer adult court sentence. The agreement for 11 years would mean he is in custody until he turns 25. If he behaves, he is likely to spend that time in a juvenile rehabilitation facility.
The deal comes in the wake of several cases where appeals courts have been reluctant to impose adult sentences on teens.
“It’s clear to me that a standard range juvenile sentence is insufficient for what happened here,” Prosecutor Eric Eisinger said. “At the same time, I think the case law in Washington state makes it clear that the court is absolutely required to take into consideration that Mr. Pantoja was 14-years and 3-months old at the time.”
The other teen tied to the murder, Victor Ariel Cervantes, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in Benton-Franklin Juvenile Court. He was sentenced to spend until he was 21 in prison.
Hultgrenn said he told his client that there was a good chance of keeping the case in juvenile court, but Pantoja wanted to give the family some closure.
“He’s agreeing to something that he could have fought until the bitter end,” the attorney said. “He wanted to accept responsibility and he wanted to move on with his life. ... He was very tired.
Pantoja showed a lot of discipline over the past few years, and had family in the courtroom supporting him.
Robbery turned murder
Pantoja and Cervantes were both 14 when they devised a plan to rob someone delivering drugs, according to court records. Investigators allegedly found a series of Instagram messages between the two teens.
Investigators believe Cervantes, using an Instagram account associated with his phone, contacted Chavez about buying a quarter ounce of marijuana, flavored vape pens and rolling papers.
Chavez went to the 1100 block of West Fifth Avenue about 9:15 p.m. and messaged Cervantes that he had arrived.
Video surveillance shows two teens walk toward where Chavez had parked.
Cervantes is seen walking away from the car while it heads west on Fifth Avenue, while investigators believe Pantoja got into the back seat of the car.
The video shows muzzle flashes from gunshots. Then the Prius moves forward and another flash is seen before it hits a parked car.
Pantoja then got out of the rear seat of the car and walked away, according to court documents. Chavez was found dead inside.
The Washington State Patrol Crime Lab found the bullets pierced the back of the driver’s seat. At least one .45 caliber round was found in the back seat and several shell casings were found.
Investigators say DNA from Pantoja and three other people, was found on the rear driver’s side door.
He was arrested in November 2022, and a search of the home he was staying at turned up a .45 caliber XD Springfield handgun. The shells inside matched ones found at the murder scene, say officials.