Alleged participant in Roma woman’s death pleads guilty
May 13, 2008 - 8:35PM
Jeremy Roebuck, McAllen Monitor

EDINBURG -- A 34-year-old Mexican Mafia member was sentenced to 60 years in prison Monday for his role in what was once one of Hidalgo County's most baffling cold homicide cases.

Luis Carlos Mares pleaded guilty to participating in the 2003 murder of 21-year-old Ann Marie Garcia, whose body was found strangled, abused and dumped on the banks of a Delta-area canal.

He is the second defendant to admit he played a part in the crime.

As part of Mares' plea deal, prosecutors agreed to reduce the charge against him from capital murder to murder and recommended he be allowed to serve his sentence concurrently with punishments for other crimes in Cameron and Webb counties.

His lawyers - Jaime Alemán and Ricardo Flores - did not return phone calls Tuesday.

"I'm just glad that there's finally resolution," said Sgt. Rafael Garza, an Hidalgo County sheriff's deputy and the lead investigator on Garcia's cold case.

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