Sentencing Mele

When he was brought before Judge Nicholas De Rosa, he was given 23 years for manslaughter plus 16 months for tampering with evidence. But sadly for the Garza family, if he shows good behavior, Mele could actually be paroled before his 23 years are up. Laura’s mother shared her anger, a friend translating for her, “She’s very upset. She’s not happy with the 23 years. They wanted a jury to give him more. She’s worried he’ll get out before the 23 years.” Even Laura’s brother Ivan had said, “It’s not justice.”

Looking Further Into Mele’s Behavior

After looking further into Mele’s past, what they began to find out was quite disturbing. One of his girlfriends shared that one time during sex, Michael “grabbed her around the throat firmly, making her feel scared and uncomfortable.” Then another female ‘friend’ of Mele felt threatened when she reported, “her car was broken into and her jeans [and] bra… were laid out on the hood of the car with the words ‘I gonna rape U’ written in white lotion on the hood.” The friend was so afraid that she took out an ‘order of protection’ against him.