A Pinal County judge has sentenced a man convicted of killing two teen girls in Casa Grande three years ago.
Terrance Santistevan, 21, was sentenced to two consecutive natural life terms without the possibility of release for the murders of Leslie Cota, 18, and Danielle Murrieta, 17.
On April 24, 2022, Casa Grande police responded to the Sonoran apartment complex, located near Florence Boulevard and Pottumbaum Avenue. When they arrived, they discovered Cota dead in the backseat of a car, with Murrieta lying behind the vehicle before being taken to the hospital. She died a short while afterward.
According to police, Santistevan was involved in a human smuggling enterprise and was seeking retribution for money owed to him by someone else, but he had no intention of shooting Cota or Murrieta. According to court filings, Santistevan fired more than two dozen 9mm rounds with a Glock handgun that had been modified with a switch to operate fully automatic.
Santistevan eventually fled the state and was apprehended by deputy US marshals a few days later in Pflugerville, Texas.
“These were calculated, cold-blooded murders stemming from a human smuggling operation,” said Pinal County Attorney Brad Miller. “The defendant showed a complete disregard for human life in pursuit of revenge. Today’s sentence ensures this violent individual will never again be free to harm another person.”
