An 18-year-old from Edinburg was found guilty on Tuesday and sentenced to 37 years in prison for shooting and killing a man in Weslaco, according to a news release.

Mauricio Mata was found guilty by a Hidalgo County judge in the murder of 44-year-old David Silva, the news release stated.

Silva was found with seven gunshot wounds in rural Weslaco on Feb. 11, 2023. Previous reports say Mata was 15 years old when the deadly shooting happened.

According to a news release, family members who were present during the shooting identified Mata as the shooter. Mata fled to Mexico shortly after the shooting and was apprehended at the Hidalgo port of entry in March 2023.

“It’s very unfortunate to see the complete disregard this young man has for human life and for the rule of law,” Hidalgo County

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