El Paso man sentenced to life in prison for the murder of his girlfriend

UPDATE: An El Paso jury sentenced 53-year-old Jesus Chavez to life in prison Wednesday for the 2014 killing of his wife, 51-year-old Laura Lara. Chavez was also fined $10,000.

It took jurors about two hours of deliberation to reach the verdict.

In August 2014, Chavez beat his wife with a baseball bat which left her with a head injury. Lara died three days later at the hospital. Chavez pleaded guilty to the murder charge on Monday.

As the sentence was read, Lara’s oldest daughter Claudia Gonzalez fought through tears to read a victim’s impact statement written by Lara’s youngest child, Susanna Diaz.

“Losing my mom has changed my life completely,” Gonzalez said. “Without you there is no home to go back to. I’m lost without you Mom.”

Afterwards, prosecutor Nathan Brown said the family was pleased with the sentence.

“Well I believe that the family believes justice was served by a life verdict. They weren’t asking for any type of number. They were asking for justice to be served, and justice was served.”

When asked, attorneys for the defense declined to make any statement.

ORIGINAL: A 51-year-old El Paso man has been charged with murder in the beating death of his girlfriend.

Police say Jesus Chavez beat 51-year-old Laura Lara and she died at the hospital, three days after the alleged attack, from a head injury.

Police say Chavez also was at the hospital because of a self-inflicted injury.

He was arrested as soon as he was released from the hospital.

His bond is set at $1 million.