Tony Earls sentenced to 20 years for 2022 shooting death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The man convicted of manslaughter in the 2022 shooting death of 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Thursday, capping off an emotional trial.

Tony Earls, 45, had no reaction to his sentence. It was the maximum allowed. Arlene's father, Armando Alvarez, exhaled in relief. It was the final moments of a three-and-a-half-year journey.

"What happened that day is wrong, and we stood still and we put our foot in the ground because we love our baby so much," Wendy Alvarez, Arlene's mother, told reporters afterward.

The trial lasted eight days and it all came down to whether the jury thought Earls was reckless when he said he was firing toward a robber on Valentine's Day 2022. Instead, one of the bullets hit the Alvarez family truck and hit Arlene in the head.

It took the jury about an hour to find Earls guilty on Tuesday.

PREVIOUS REPORT: Tony Earls found guilty of shooting and killing 9-year-old Arlene Alvarez in 2022

"The evidence was clear, nobody but Tony Earls shot into the truck that night, and the jury saw that and made the decision," April Aguirre, Arlene's aunt, said.

Earls maintained he was being shot at that night. The prosecution's video presentation, which was a step-by-step look at what happened, was effective, said the jury foreperson. Earls testimony on Wednesday, in an attempt to minimize his sentence, was not, he said.

"If he had taken accountability by just saying, 'I messed up,' a lot of the jurors would have gotten to a point that he would not have gotten 20 years," Sundiata Wickliff said. "They would have sat here and said something else, but we really wanted him to be accountable for his actions."

Many of the jurors stayed for the victim's impact statement. It was a powerful admonition from a mother who lost so much.

"Tony Earls, I saw that you wanted to apologize to us, but what you did that night was wrong, and you need to pay," Wendy Alvarez said in court as she looked at Earls. "Twenty years is not enough. I really hope you find it in your heart when you're in jail to repent to God, to make changes in your life, because if you're a good person, show it."

Afterward, the Alvarez family said they were going to Arlene's grave to celebrate her.

What happened to Arlene thrust her aunt into activism. On Thursday, she said she wants to push for stiffer penalties for manslaughter with child victims. Crime Stoppers of Houston's Andy Kahan said it will be on their agenda for the next legislative session.

Earls has some time served, and he'll be eligible for parole in about 8 years.

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