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Man Convicted Of Murder In Shooting That Killed Victim 15 Years Later

SANTA ANA (CBS) — A man already serving a 20-year stint for attempted murder has been convicted of murder in the same case because the 1994 shooting ultimately led to the victim's death.

Erwin Johnny Sanchez, 36, was convicted Tuesday of first-degree murder and the jury also found true sentencing enhancements for shooting a gun and doing it to benefit a gang.

Sanchez pleaded guilty in 1996 to attempted murder in the shooting of Scott Sittler, who was 19 at the time. The bullet severed his spinal cord and left Sittler a quadriplegic for the rest of his life. He died in February 2009.

Sanchez was due to be released from prison in 2015. Co-defendants' Giovanny Sanchez and Daniel Paul Cruz now also face murder charges.

Erwin Sanchez is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16.

(©2011 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)

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