Re-Sentencing Of Child Rapist, Killer Delayed
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) -- The re-sentencing of a convicted child killer who raped and murdered his own sister has been rescheduled.
The hearing, which was set to take place Monday at 3 p.m., has been rescheduled for another day this week.
Ronald Salazar, 24, was originally sentenced to life in prison after he was convicted in the death of his sister, 11-year-old Marina.
Salazar strangled, raped her and then slashed her throat from ear to ear in July 2005. He was 14-years old at the time.
Salazar's life sentence, however, was reversed after the U.S. Supreme Court's 2012 decision in which it banned life sentences without the possibility of parole for juveniles convicted of murder. The decision still allowed for a young defendant to get life in prison, but a judge must first hear evidence of the killer's youth.
During a five day sentencing hearing last month leading up to the judge's decision, Salazar took the stand and testified before Circuit Judge Ellen Sue Venzer about how his parents came to the U.S. from El Salvador in 1991, but left him behind because he was too young to make the overland crossing.
He was left with his grandparents who he originally thought were his parents. Salazar testified that he was physically and sexually abused in El Salvador. He added that his grandmother, who died, was the only person to show him what love was.
He said when he came to Miami and met his parents for the first time, "We hugged, we embraced, it was amazing."
But things soon went south.
"When they went to work I had to stay locked in the house," he said. "My dad went rough on me. Our relationship was never good."
Salazar told the judge he grew angry that he had been permitted to go so long without even knowing his parents existed.
"They wouldn't tell me the reason why they left me, why they did not contact me."
Salazar said his mind began to spiral out of control and he thought of murdering his family.
"I started dreaming and thinking about hurting them all," he said.
Salazar said he also felt shunned in favor of other siblings his parents had after he was born. He admitted he had sexual relations with a younger sister, who he had never known and viewed as a stranger. Salazar said the Department of Children and Families was called in after someone learned of the sex, but they never followed up and he never got any therapy.
He said he was suicidal for a long time after murdering his sister, but is no longer. In jail, Salazar was reportedly given psychotropic drugs and put on suicide watch. He said he still wanted to kill his parents and the rest of the family.
