A Mexican national in the U.S. illegally has been handed down two life sentences for brutally murdering a 75-year-old American grandmother.
Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg of Texas
announced Tuesday that Etta Nugent’s killer, 24-year-old Marcos Cobos, “will now spend decades, and hopefully the rest of his life, in prison.”
Ogg indicated the victim’s family won’t have to “go through a painful and traumatic trial” since Cobos pleaded guilty Friday both to Nugent’s 2019 murder and to aggravated robbery.
In May 2019, Cobos stole a Ford F-150 in Arizona and drove to Houston in hopes of meeting someone he supposedly met online. The meeting failed to transpire, so the illegal alien began living out of the stolen truck in Sharpstown.
Although nearby residents repeatedly contacted authorities about the truck, which had been recognized as out of place in the tight-knit community, law enforcement apparently left Cobos alone for several days.
On May 19, 2019, Cobos, 19 at the time, knocked on Nugent’s door and asked the elderly woman for water and to charge his phone.
Etta Nugent, originally from Yoakum, was a mother of three and a grandmother of six who worked as a parish secretary at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in the Houston area for 25 years. Her husband, to whom she had been married for over 50 years, had been relocated to a medical facility owing to his failing health,
according to the Victoria Advocate.
Nugent, evidently a sound judge of character, declined to let the illegal alien inside, directing him instead to another neighbor who might be more willing.
Cobos left, but returned just minutes later and forced his way inside the home. Right away, he stabbed the victim in the chest with a knife he had brought with him. He then went into the kitchen in search of a better blade.
The illegal alien later told police that he spotted the elderly woman crawling onto the porch in an attempt to escape, so he grabbed her in a “bear hug,” brought her inside, then resumed his butchery with the victim’s kitchen knives,
reported the Houston Chronicle.
According to the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, Cobos stabbed Nugent at least 13 times, but not all in one go. He apparently spread the attacks out over several hours until the grandmother finally succumbed to her injuries.
While Nugent bled out, Cobos reportedly did his laundry in the house and took a shower. At one point, he went out for a burger, then returned to eat it nearby the victim’s body.
After finishing both his meal and his laundry, the illegal alien pillaged the victim’s house,
used her credit cards to pay his cell phone bill, then stole her car.
The Advocate reported that Nugent was scheduled to visit her ailing husband Monday morning. However, when she failed to turn up, family members became concerned.
Unable to hail her on the phone, Nugent’s son raced to the house where he found her body.
Although Cobos had fled the night of the murder and shacked up in a nearby motel, he returned the next day to move his stolen truck away from the grisly scene. Police caught him driving Nugent’s car and detained him. Cobos confessed to the murder shortly thereafter.
Family members noted in a statement following Nugent’s death, “Etta was a kind, gentle and generous woman who lived her life with unwavering dedication to her faith, family and friends.”
“To see her life end in such a tragic, evil matter is simply unexplainable,” continued the statement.
Assistant District Attorney Lynn Nguyen, who prosecuted Cobos, said, “This case is truly horrendous and is the worst possible nightmare for anyone who has an elderly parent living on their own.”
“You don’t want to believe that something like this could happen in our community, but when it does, we do everything possible to seek justice for the victim and their family,” added Nguyen.
Per Cobos’ plea deal, he will serve 60 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. Furthermore, he cannot appeal the conviction or dual life sentences.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there have been 29 illegal aliens convicted for murder in the U.S. in fiscal year 2023; 62 last fiscal year; and 60 the previous year.
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