Man once charged with capital murder receives sentence in plea deal

Baron Ochoa gets three 55-year sentences

SAN ANTONIO – One of two brothers who once faced capital murder charges found out his punishment Thursday after a plea deal.

Baron Ochoa was sentenced to three 55-year sentences to be served concurrently for continuous sexual abuse of a child and two counts of sexual performance of a child.

Baron Ochoa and his brother, Conrad Ochoa, were originally charged with capital murder in the 2011 deaths of Conrad Ochoa's daughter, Sammie Ochoa, her mother and a family friend, Pam Wensky. The charges were dismissed after a plea deal.

"It's been excruciating," said Suzy Bianchi-Peters, grandmother of victim Samvastion "Sammie" Ochoa. "I live with it every day, every moment of every day."

Bianchi-Peters has lived with the pain of losing her daughter, Rebecca Gonzales, and granddaughter, Sammie, after they were both stabbed to death. Their bodies were found in their home, which had been set on fire.

"Her father, her uncle, people who were supposed to love her and protect her were the demons themselves," Bianchi-Peters said.

Bianchi-Peters was Thursday there when Baron Ochoa was sentenced.

"There will never be enough years to make up what was done to those girls," she said. "There will never be a punishment harsh enough to justify (it) at all."

However, because the capital murder charges were dismissed "without prejudice," if new evidence is brought forward, the brothers could be re-indicted, which Bianchi-Peters said she is hoping for.

"This just provides some justice for Sammie, but it does not provide justice for Rebecca or Pam Wensky," she said.

Conrad Ochoa has already been sentenced to a maximum of 10 years after he pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

Bianchi-Peters said any amount of years will never be enough and she hopes the community will step up when it comes to child abuse.

"It's up to us as neighbors and friends, as people on the street, when we see abuse, report it. Hold people accountable and prevent what ultimately happened to Sam," she said.


About the Author:

Stephanie Serna is a weekday anchor on Good Morning San Antonio and GMSA at 9 a.m. She joined the KSAT 12 News team in November 2009 as a general assignments reporter.