A 38-year-old gang member has been sentenced to 30 years in prison in connection with the murder of a Newtown man who was shot and killed on Interstate 84 in Danbury 16 years ago as he was heading to work.
Alex Garcia, 38, of Danbury, was accused of killing Mark Rebong on Jan. 17, 2000 and federal officials called this a case of mistaken identity.
Rebong was the night manager of the Hilton Hotel in Danbury and was heading to work when he shot in the head between 10:30 p.m. and 11:15 p.m. that night, according to police.
He was found at 11:02 p.m. on Jan. 17, 2000 in the driver’s seat of an idling vehicle near exit 2 off of I-84 in Danbury and later died as a result of his injuries.
At the time of the murder, Garcia was a member of the Latin Kings and murdered Rebong to maintain or increase his position in the gang, as well as for money, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“In a tragic case of mistaken identity, Mark Rebong, who was neither a member of a gang nor engaged in any criminal activity, was shot and killed as he drove to work,” U.S. Attorney Deidre Daly said. “I want to commend the dedicated law enforcement investigators for their relentless search for those responsible for this senseless murder. Although over 15 years have passed, the law enforcement team never forgot Mark. We hope that this indictment brings his family some small measure of solace.”
Garcia pleaded guilty on June 15 to one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
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He was sentenced Wednesday to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a judge ordered the sentence to run concurrently with an unrelated 40-year sentence he is serving.
