Teen Sentenced To 11 Years In Prison In Brewer Burning Case
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBSMiami) – Eighteen-year-old Matthew Bent will spend the next 11 years in a Florida prison for the 2009 burning of Michael Brewer.
"We're all going to celebrate Christmas Eve, roast a pig, which goes against my vegetarian diet and celebrate that this is done," said Reenie Brewer.
The sentence was handed down by a Broward County judge around 3:30 p.m. Thursday afternoon.
Bent was the alleged ringleader of the burning of Michael Brewer. He was facing a maximum of 15 years in prison for the attack.
The sentence came despite a tearful plea from Bent's mother Cheri, who said Matthew was a good kid, not someone who would pull off such a violent act.
"My son, Matthew Bent, would never do anything like that, it would never cross his mind," Cheri Bent said.
Bent was convicted in June of aggravated battery in the attack on Brewer, who was set on fire by a group of teens when he was 15-years-old.
Brewer survived the attack by jumping into a swimming pool at an apartment complex.
Two other teens involved in the attack, Denver Jarvis and Jesus Mendez, are in prison after pleading no contest. Both testified against Bent.
Trial testimony showed the attack stemmed from a dispute between Bent and Brewer over a marijuana pipe.
Witnesses said the boys with Bent found a jug of rubbing alcohol and decided to pour it on Brewer.
Bent was not convicted of the most serious charge of attempted murder.
With all three of the teens involved in the burning of Matthew now behind bars, the Brewer family said it's time to move on.
"It's sad, it's very sad," said Valerie Brewer, Michael's mom. "They have no idea how they changed so many lives. What happened to Michael affected people all around the world."
