San Antonio man gets 20-year plea deal for 2019 murder after testifying against codefendant

SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man who took part in a deadly shooting and robbery in 2019 was sentenced to 20 years in prison after taking a plea deal.

Sebastian Espinar was first charged with capital murder after he and codefendant Jimmy Tran shot and robbed 22-year-old Andres Salinas behind a Northeast Side Wingstop.

During Tran’s capital murder trial in early April, Espinar testified that he and Tran had planned to steal from Salinas because he had previously sold him bad Xanax pills.

Espinar said that after Salinas tried to run away with Tran’s money, he and Tran both shot at Salinas but Espinar said he had no intention of hurting Salinas and shot in the air just to scare him.

Espinar pointed the finger at Tran as being the one who shot Salinas.

Tran was found guilty of capital murder and was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Espinar will be eligible for parole after serving half of his sentence.

Related:

• Jury finds San Antonio man guilty of capital murder
• ‘I never intended to harm him’: Co-defendant testifies against man on trial for capital murder