The last two members of a trio responsible for carjacking and kidnapping an FBI employee in Rapid City, South Dakota, have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. Deyvin Morales, 29, received a 47-year prison sentence, while Karla Lopez-Gutierrez, also 29, was sentenced to over 26 years at the same hearing. The third participant, Juan Alvarez-Sorto, 25, was sentenced to 37 years earlier in the month. Morales and Alvarez-Sorto had initially pleaded not guilty but were convicted in January. Lopez-Gutierrez, on the other hand, pleaded guilty in August to aiding and abetting the kidnapping and a weapons charge.
The trio left Greeley, Colorado, on May 5, 2022, on a “drug trafficking trip” to South Dakota in a Ford Expedition. Running low on gas at the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, Morales suggested they carjack a new vehicle, according to Lopez-Gutierrez’s testimony. The FBI employee, driving a Dodge Durango, encountered the Expedition and pulled over, thinking it was a tribal officer. The assailants then took the Durango at gunpoint and kidnapped the victim. The victim described the harrowing experience of being threatened, held at gunpoint, and ultimately escaping when they stopped in Hermosa, South Dakota, to buy gas and zip ties.
Morales’ attorney argued for a 20-25 year sentence, citing Morales’ past grant of asylum in 2017 due to threats on his life from a gang in Guatemala. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy Jehangiri expressed disappointment in Morales’ actions, stating that he had squandered the goodwill of the country by committing the crime. Lopez-Gutierrez’s attorney also advocated for leniency, pointing out that she is a mother of three and has taken responsibility for her role in the crime. Lopez-Gutierrez tearfully apologized to the victim and his family at the hearing, expressing regret for the pain she caused.
The victim recounted the traumatic events of the kidnapping, saying that the assailants showed him no mercy. He questioned why they had to kidnap him when they already had everything of his. The group’s actions led to a high-speed chase, threats to the victim’s family, and a terrifying ordeal in the Badlands where the victim was held at gunpoint. Despite the fear and danger he faced, he managed to escape while the group stopped to buy supplies, eventually leading to the arrest of Morales, Alvarez-Sorto, and Lopez-Gutierrez.
The sentencing of Morales to 47 years and Lopez-Gutierrez to over 26 years reflects the severity of their crimes and the impact it had on the victim. The case serves as a reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officials and the consequences of engaging in criminal activities such as carjacking and kidnapping. The victim’s courage and determination to escape the ordeal played a crucial role in bringing the perpetrators to justice. This sentencing brings closure to a harrowing incident and sends a strong message about the consequences of such violent crimes.
