Mexican Man Sentenced to 10+ Years in Federal Prison for Carjacking

U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of Texas
January 20, 2012

MCALLEN, TX—Edgar Quezada-Luna has been sentenced to 130 months in prison without parole for carjacking, United States Attorney Kenneth Magidson announced today. Chief U.S. District Judge Ricardo Hinojosa, who sentenced Quezada-Luna, 21, of Mexico, today, also ordered him to pay $66,793.75 in restitution to victims. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the seriousness of the offense and evidence linking the defendant to several carjackings.

On April 29, 2011, Quezada pleaded guilty before Judge Hinojosa to one count of carjacking, admitting that on Aug. 7, 2010, he carjacked a 2006 BMW X5 from a female driver in McAllen.

According to documents filed of record in the case, on Aug. 7, 2010, in a parking lot near the Arts District Business Center on N. Main St. in McAllen at just before 2:00 a.m., Quezada approached the female driver of a 2006 BMW X5 displaying a handgun. Holding the gun to the female victim’s stomach, Quezada ordered her out of the car. Fearing for her life, she got out and Quezada then stole her car. Through further investigative efforts, Quezada was later identified as the carjacker and arrested on Oct. 20, 2010, in Hidalgo, Texas, by officers of the McAllen Police Department. He admitted to stealing the BMW X5 from the female driver at gunpoint and agreeing to pay $150 to another to transport the stolen car to Mexico.

Quezada has been in custody since his arrest and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Bureau of Prisons facility to be designated in the near future.

The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the McAllen, Mission and Edinburg Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sully prosecuted the case.