Man sentenced to 80 years for the murder of his father

The man found guilty of murdering his father was sentenced to 80 years in prison Thursday evening.

A jury found Steven Apilado, 38, guilty Thursday of shooting and killing his father, Vincent Apilado.

This happened in November of 2015 on the 12000 block of Stanbury Drive in far east El Paso.

The trial began earlier in the week.

The jury deliberated for about two hours Thursday before reaching a verdict, and another couple of hours for the sentence.

ABC-7 spoke with Apilado’s defense attorneys after the sentencing. They said the trial was very intriguing and difficult.

Apilado never denied shooting his father. Attorneys said the issue was his mental state at the time. Apilado had a lifelong history of mental illness including sleepwalking and committed acts of violence against his father in the past.

The family would not speak with us on camera, but were visibly upset about the verdict. Rick Hagen, one of the defense attorneys, said the trial was especially tough on the family.

Apilado had faced five to 99 years in prison. The defense does not intend to appeal the verdict.

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Apilado was on probation at the time of the murder for attacking his parents last year.

Last November, Elsa Apilado told ABC-7 the shooting was an accident and that Steven loved his father, who had Parkinson’s disease and dementia.

After the shooing, a neighbor told ABC-7 she knew that Apilado was mentally ill.

“We always knew about Stevie, I mean, you know, that he wasn’t well, because his Mom would talk about it,” the neighbor said. “She didn’t witness the shooting, but she was in the house and immediately was there to see it, see her husband.”

She said Apilado’s mother called her from a police car outside after the shooting. She told her Steven was watching TV with his dad and she was in another room.

“She heard the shot and her son came in and told her what he did,” the neighbor said. “She says he doesn’t sleep for days, like he goes days without sleeping.”

She said another neighbor told her he had seen guns in Steven Apilado’s room, which would appear to violate his two-year probation for attacking his parents last year.

“I don’t know where he got the gun,” she said. “I never knew that Stevie owned guns. I just assumed he didn’t because he’s not well.”

Despite being beaten by Steven Apilado last year with a gun and killing her husband, Elsa Apilado pleaded with ABC-7 not to make her son “out to be a monster.”