“He was a 22-year-old predator who worked to get close to a teenage girl,” Assistant District Attorney Philip White said.

HOUSTON — A Houston man was sentenced to more than seven decades in prison for killing his 16-year-old ex-girlfriend in 2018.

Irbin Vargas, now 29, killed Lourdes “Betty” Sandoval on Sept. 12, 2018.

On the night of the deadly shooting, Betty texted Vargas and told him she wanted to break up. She had previously told family members and friends that he threatened to kill her and even put a gun to her head.

Vargas and Betty had been dating for about a year. On the night of the shooting, she texted him saying she didn’t want anything to do with him. She left her Greenspoint-area home to meet a friend who was waiting in a car outside.

That’s when Vargas came out from the shadows, ambushed her and shot her in the head.

“He was a 22-year-old predator who worked to get close to a teenage girl,” Assistant District Attorney Philip White said. “Five minutes after she told him that it was over for good, he killed her.”

Betty’s friend watched the murder happen.

“No one should ever lose their life to domestic violence, and this case is especially tragic because this woman was so young and had so much to live for—we mourn her loss with her family,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said.

Vargas left the scene but turned himself in about 10 days after the shooting. He was convicted of murder in November and chose to have his sentence decided by a judge. That judge handed down a 75-year sentence on Tuesday. He will have to serve at least 30 years in prison before he’ll be eligible for parole.

Resources for victims of domestic or family violence

Domestic and family violence cases in the Houston area have increased at an alarming rate. Victims often suffer in silence because they feel scared, helpless or ashamed. 

If you or someone you know is a victim of domestic violence, here are some discreet ways to reach out for help.

The Houston Area Women’s Center has a 24-hour hotline for victims of domestic violence at 713-528-2121 or 1-800-256-0551.

The Family Time Crisis Center can also be reached 24 hours a day at 281-446-2615.

The National Domestic Violence Hotline is 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).

Crisis Text Line: Text START to 88788.

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