Life For Robber Who Shot Corrections Officer
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MIAMI (CBMiami) -- Former Miami-Dade Corrections Officer Juan Guellmes shouldn't be alive today, not after being shot repeatedly by 20-year-old Patrick Sullivan in September 2014.
"He shot me four times at close range," Guellmes said as he came to Miami-Dade court for his attacker's sentencing Friday.
Sullivan, now 22, plead guilty to armed robbery and attempted murder.
Guellmes was washing his car in his South Dade driveway when Sullivan robbed him of his gold chain, firing shots that pierced his spinal column and major organs and shattered his left arm. He thought he was bleeding out.
"Seeing my kid and my girlfriend, I said goodbye," Guellmes told CBS4's Gary Nelson in the courthouse hallway, his voice choking. "I knew it was a couple of minutes. I thought I was going to die."
As he addressed the court, the father of two struggled to maintain his composure as he recounted losing his wife to cancer 15 years ago.
His sons John and Justin were watching, along with an overflow crowd of correctional officers and other law-enforcement personnel.
Justin, 17 years old at the time, desperately tried to save his dad as he waited for medics to come the night of the shooting.
"I went multiple nights of not being able to sleep, constantly dreaming of hearing the gunshots," Justin told the judge.
Former Judge Israel Reyes spoke, his voice cracking, as he recalled the officer who often worked in his courtroom.
"Juan was strong. He was healthy," Reyes said.
But now Guellmes is largely disabled, in constant pain, and facing more surgeries. He can no longer even think of playing basketball with his sons.
Prosecutor Annette Rasco asked for the maximum.
"I am confident, Your Honor, that if he is released he will be a risk and threat to this community," Rasco said.
Sullivan's mom, Ruby Johnson, said drug addiction drove him to commit crimes.
"It was the drugs that invaded his body," Johnson said.
Defense attorney Tony Moss told the court Sullivan was capable of redemption.
"He can be rehabilitated, Moss said.
Sullivan offered an apology to his victim and the victim's family.
"I'm sorry for my actions, and I ask you to forgive me for the things that I've done," Sullivan said.
Judge Richard Hersch, however, was not in a forgiving mood. He told Sullivan that he could have chosen to pursue employment, work a 9-to-5 job, and not take a pathway through crime.
As for drugs, the judge said it was Sullivan's choice to use them.
"You hope you can go out in your front lawn and wash your car without somebody putting a gun to your head," the judge told Sullivan.
Hersch sentenced Sullivan to the maximum, life in prison without parole. Sullivan, arrested six times since he was 14, was fingerprinted, handcuffed and led away to state prison where, barring a successful appeal, he will remain for the rest of his life.
After the sentencing, Guellmes was embraced by dozens of his former colleagues.
"He got what he deserved, the maximum," Guellmes said. "I did not deserve this. My family did not deserve this, over a damn chain."
