A man who killed another man after shooting him in the back of the head during a fight was sentenced to 15 years in prison at Maricopa County Superior Court after he pleaded guilty to manslaughter and misconduct involving weapons.
Jose Lomeli, 41, sat before Judge Stasy Avelar on April 24 wearing an orange MCSO jumpsuit a little over a year after he killed Jose De Jesus Loeza.
The sentencing, which was scheduled for 1:30 p.m., was delayed by over 30 minutes as court staff moved some of Loeza’s friends and family to a side room, as there weren’t enough seats to accommodate them.
A fight turned fatal
Arrest documents said officers responded to the area of Osborn Road and 55th Avenue in Phoenix at about 6:41 a.m. April 1, 2024, after they received a call about a vehicle on fire. Officers found a partially submerged Chevrolet truck in the canal and, after extinguishing the fire, found the body of a man, later identified as Loeza, who had died from a gunshot wound to the back of the head…