MS-13 member gets 50 years in prison in Missouri City murder of 16-year-old witness

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- An MS-13 gang member who took part in the killing of a 16-year-old witness to several murders has been sentenced to 50 years in prison.

The Harris County District Attorney's Office said 37-year-old Jose Guerra Sibrian pleaded guilty this week for his role in the June 2016 slaying of Estuar Quinonez at Buffalo Run Park in Missouri City.

The video above is from a June 2016 report on the Missouri City killing of Estuar Quinonez.

A co-defendant in the case, Douglas Alexander Herrera-Hernandez, was found guilty by a jury and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

According to prosecutors, Sibrian and several other gang members lured Quinonez to the park where they shot him more than 15 times as he sat on a bench.

Sibrian, the district attorney's office said, planned the killing because the teenager had witnessed several gang-related murders and the suspects wanted to ensure that he would never talk.

The district attorney's office added Herrera-Hernandez admitted to getting into contact with gang leaders in El Salvador to get permission to kill the teenager. Sibrian was among the gang members who hid in the park before the shooting.

"We will continue to hold gang members accountable for their brutal, illegal actions that terrorize entire communities," said Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg. "Targeting a witness is a vicious crime, and we will continue to seek justice for the victims and their families."

At the time of the incident, Eyewitness News reported Quinonez's body was found on one of the jogging trails near a footbridge inside the park.

SEE MORE: Teen found dead near jogging trail in Missouri City park