Press Release

20 Year Sentence for 2014 Attempted Murder

March 23, 2016

(ANCHORAGE, ALASKA) – On March 22, Anchorage Superior Court Judge pro tempore Warren Matthews sentenced 23 year old Oscar Fabela Villa II to serve 20 years in prison for attempted murder in the first degree. Matthews also imposed sentences for assault in the third degree, misconduct involving weapons in the second degree, failure to appear in court, and violating conditions of release. Judge Matthews found four aggravating factors applied to Villa's case, noted that Villa's conduct made him an "extreme danger" and found that the 20 year sentence was necessary to protect the public.

Villa was allowed to go to a halfway house in June 2014, while awaiting trial on unrelated felony charges. Villa escaped from the halfway house the same day that he arrived, and contacted his sister and her boyfriend. On June 29, Villa and the boyfriend had an argument over the phone concerning the boyfriend's missing debit card. Villa threatened to "put a bullet in" him if the boyfriend notified the police about his whereabouts. Later that day, Villa went to the boyfriend's apartment and tried to convince him to come outside. When the boyfriend refused, Villa fired three shots at him through the apartment window, narrowly missing him. Villa fled the scene and remained at large until Anchorage Police took him into custody in October 2014.

Villa’s sentence followed two jury trials before Judge Matthews in November and December 2015. Villa was separately convicted in two other jury trials of attempting to escape from the Anchorage Jail and of domestic violence assault, assault on a police officer, drunk driving, criminal mischief, and felony failure to stop at the direction of a police officer. Villa will be sentenced in April and then June in those cases.

Judge Matthews acknowledged that the sentence was harsh, but found that it was necessary in light of Villa's history of criminal conduct. Judge Matthews expressed hope that Villa would reconsider the wrongfulness of his actions while serving his sentence.

CONTACT: Assistant District Attorney James Klugman at (907) 269-6351 or james.klugman@alaska.gov.

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Department Media Contacts: Communications Director Patty Sullivan at patty.sullivan@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6368. Information Officer Sam Curtis at sam.curtis@alaska.gov or (907) 269-6269.