The second person involved in a New Year's Day double murder in 2011 in Hartford was sentenced to life in prison in Friday in connection with the murders of two men.
Angel Rivera, of Hartford, was sentenced on Friday to life in prison for a capital felony charge, plus 10 years in prison for conspiracy to commit murder.
He was arrested in connection with the deaths of Lionel Roldan, 24, and Luis Rivera, 30, who were shot and killed on Francis Avenue just minutes after midnight on Jan 1. 2011.
The men killed were cousins and their family knew them as Paolo and Tico.
“They are going to be really missed. I miss them a lot. Every day that I cry, day and night, it’s hard to let go of a person I loved," Sonia Rivera, Luis Rivera's sister, said.
Roldan's wife, Christina expressed her anguish over the tragedy.
“You have no idea to have to try and explain to a little innocent girl that her father was killed and is never coming back," Christina Roldan said. "It was my worst nightmare come true.”
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The judge told Angel Rivera that it's lucky only two people died that night.
"When people make negative comments about the city of Hartford, they always point to senseless gun violence and that’s exactly what this is," the judge said.
Later that day, officers spotted Jose Medina, who led them on a chase into West Hartford and found a large amount of heroin on him, police said. They arrested him on drug charges and an arrest warrant was issued, charging him with the murders of Roldan and Luis Rivera.
Medina and Angel Rivera were charged with capital felony, murder and conspiracy to commit murder charges.
Medina was found guilty in May 2014 and sentenced to 1- years in prison, according to online court records, which also state that an appeal is pending.
While both Medina and Angel Rivera plan to appeal their sentences, the family members of the men killed said they're already starting to move forward.
“We got justice and that’s what we wanted, justice, and we got it. Finally after four years, it’s over," Sonia Rivera said.
