A man who fled to Indiana after committing a murder at a central Fresno apartment complex in 2020 was sentenced to 40 years to life in prison on Monday morning.

Abel Echartea, 33, received the sentence for his second-degree shooting murder of Phillip Ozuna, 38, of Fresno on December 23, 2020, at The Parks at Fig Garden Apartments.

Shot at the Victim Seven Times

According to evidence presented at trial, Echartea fired seven times at Ozuna. A Fresno County Superior Court jury found Echartea, a known gang member, guilty in late June.

U.S. Marshall’s Fugitive Task Force members arrested Abel Echartea in Marion, Indiana, in January of this year. Drugs were seized at the location where he was arrested.

Senior deputy district attorney Kelly Smith prosecuted the case.