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Casa Grande man convicted of negligent homicide in 2016 case

Posted at 3:47 PM, Jul 22, 2019
and last updated 2019-07-22 18:47:04-04

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - A man accused in a 2016 fatal assault near Casa Grande has been convicted of negligent homicide.

Pinal County prosecutors say a jury reached its verdict Monday against 33-year-old Gabriel Huante, who's facing an Aug. 20 sentencing.

Jurors weighed Huante's guilt or innocence to charges of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, manslaughter or negligent homicide.

Huante, of Casa Grande, was arrested in November 2016 after 65-year-old Jerry Lee was found lying in a pool of blood outside his home.

Doctors say Lee suffered severe brain injuries and a fractured skull and died after being taken off life support at a Phoenix hospital.

The Casa Grande Dispatch reports that a medical expert testified Lee's death was caused by blunt force trauma consistent with being hit by a cinderblock and/or a large rock.