Man who, in his teens, shot and killed Albuquerque mail carrier sentenced to 22 years

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — An Albuquerque man convicted in the 2019 shooting death of a U.S. Postal Service mail carrier has been sentenced to 22 years in prison, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.

The office of the U.S. Attorney for the District of New Mexico said Xavier Zamora received the sentence more than a year after pleading guilty to second-degree murder of a federal employee.

He also pleaded guilty to using a firearm during a crime of violence resulting in death.

According to prosecutors, Jose Hernandez was delivering the mail when he saw Zamora, who was 17 at the time, arguing with his mother outside her home.

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Hernandez tried to diffuse the dispute.

Authorities say that’s when Zamora struck and pushed Hernandez. The teen then retrieved a gun from the house and shot the mail carrier in the stomach.

Hernandez died 20 minutes later.

Zamora was found hiding in a nearby home a few days later.

The gun he used was never found, according to court documents.

Hernandez had been with the Postal Service for 12 years. He was also a husband and father of four.