Edgar Del Real says he wishes he had been the one to die that day, and I agree. Well he has plenty of time to do that since he only got probation for murder.
It should be noted he and a friend went to a man's house to kill him, and ended up getting shot at for his trouble, so he's not only bad at murdering, he will have to spend the rest of his life being laughed at for getting his ass beat by a person he accused of being a sex offender.
Probation for man who accidentally killed friend during fight with child sex abuse suspect
Sarah Reese Aug 25, 2020
CROWN POINT — A Hammond man won't serve any additional jail time for killing a friend in 2018 when a shotgun accidentally discharged as they fought with a third man, whom the defendant suspected had molested his then-8-year-old relative.
Edgar Del Real, 39, pleaded guilty in March to reckless homicide, a level 5 felony, in the death of Steven Robledo, 37, of Chicago, on Sept. 22, 2018, in the 2600 block of White Oak Avenue in Whiting.
Del Real served nearly seven months in jail after he was charged with murder in September 2018.
Lake Criminal Court Judge Jamise Perkins sentenced him Tuesday to nine months in prison, followed by 21 months of probation. With credit for jail and good time, Del Real already has completed his time behind bars.
Lake County Supervisory Deputy Prosecutor Eric Randall requested a sentence with additional jail time, in part, because the case involved a death.
Defense attorney Scott King asked Perkins to empathize with Del Real, who made a report with Whiting police about his relative's alleged sexual abuse.
Del Real complied with every request made by investigators, King said. However, police told Del Real that Lake County prosecutors would not file charges against the alleged abuser because they did not think they could win the case on the relative's word alone.
Del Real was disappointed in that decision when he met up with Robledo at a bar, and the two decided to go beat up the man Del Real suspected of abusing his relative.
Del Real and Robledo walked into the man's apartment building, where the man met them at his door holding a shotgun, King said. Del Real wrestled the gun away from the man, and it went off as Del Real and Robledo headed back down a flight of stairs.
When police arrived at the shooting scene, the man Del Real and Robledo went to confront "asserted his right not to answer any police questions" while sitting at the back of an ambulance, King said.
"This is vigilante justice," King said.
Del Real said he never intended to kill Robledo and apologized.
"If anyone should have lost his life, it should have been me," he said.
Perkins said she could understand Del Real's motivation, but the court can never condone taking matters into one's own hands.
No matter what sentence the court imposes, "a life is lost," she said.
She declined to count Del Real's previous contact with police about 20 years ago against him, because it didn't result in a conviction. Del Real had led a law-abiding life until Robledo's homicide, she said.
Perkins also noted a letter from a therapist for Del Real's relative, which stated Del Real is an asset in the girl's continuing treatment.
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