News

Indiana man, 19, gets 62 years in Portage man's killing

Posted October 22, 2016 7:00 am

The Associated Press

VALPARAISO, Ind. (AP) - A northern Indiana teenager convicted of fatally shooting a man in front of his wife and children has been sentenced to 62 years in prison.

A Porter County judge cited 19-year-old Thomas Reichler's lengthy criminal history before sentencing him Friday in the December 2014 killing of 36-year-old Alexius Tapia. The judge noted that Reichler's criminal history started with an arrest at age 11 for arson and burglary.

A jury convicted Reichler of murder in August in Tapia's fatal shooting after the man caught Reichler and the others stealing from his vehicles. His wife and children witnessed the killing outside their Portage home.

The Times of Northwest Indiana reports (http://bit.ly/2dxUE9Y ) that shortly before he was sentenced, Reichler told the court "I wish I could take it back, but I can't."

___

Information from: The Times, http://www.nwitimes.com

Article Comments

Article Categories
Content Providers Indiana News Region

Article Comments

Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.