A 29-year-old man from Houston has been sentenced to 75 years in prison for the murder of his 16-year-old girlfriend back in 2018. The Harris County District Attorney’s Office announced the decision after Irbin Vargas was found guilty by a jury in November. He won’t be eligible for parole until he’s served 30 years.
The tragic story centers around Vargas and Lourdes “Betty” Sandoval, who were in a relationship despite their troubling age gap — he was 22, and she was just 16. Prosecutors revealed that Betty wanted to end things with Vargas after he reportedly threatened her life and even held a gun to her head. She had confided in friends and family about her fear.
On the night of September 12, 2018, Betty sent Vargas a message, telling him she was done and didn’t want to have anything more to do with him. Just minutes later, as she waited outside her home in a car to meet a friend, Vargas ambushed her. According to prosecutors, he crept out of the shadows, approached Betty as she stepped out of her home, and shot her in the head. Her friend, who was nearby, witnessed the horrific scene.
Vargas ran from the crime scene, but Houston Police tracked him down and arrested him.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg expressed sorrow over the case, saying, “No one should ever lose their life to domestic violence, and this case is especially heartbreaking because Betty was so young and had so much ahead of her. We mourn her loss with her family.”
Assistant District Attorney Philip White didn’t mince words, describing Vargas as a “predator” who targeted a teenage girl. “Just five minutes after she told him it was over for good, he killed her,” White said.
This devastating case serves as a painful reminder of the dangers of domestic violence, and Betty’s family and friends continue to grieve for the young life cut short far too soon.
