Oracio Sanchez Jr.

Oracio Sanchez Jr. wasn't even old enough to drink when he crashed a York City party a year ago and fatally shot a fellow party guest.

Sanchez was sentenced Monday morning to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

On May 16, a jury convicted him of first-degree murder.

Sanchez, 19, of 223 E. Cottage Place, fatally shot 26-year-old Alejandro Garcia-Castro on June 26, 2011, at a yard party in the 700 block of Poplar Street. It was the home of the victim's cousin, police said.

Sanchez gunned down Garcia-Castro after the victim scolded him for urinating in front of several women, trial testimony revealed.

Public 'safer': Chief deputy prosecutor Jennifer Russell said Sanchez deserved a life sentence.

"He definitely is a dangerous person, and everyone's safer with him in jail," she said.

But defense attorney Kevin Hoffman said he will appeal.

"We understand the jury had a difficult job," he said. "But we're disappointed they came back with a verdict of murder in the first degree."

Hoffman said there are mitigating factors to consider, "and we will make those arguments on appeal."

He confirmed one of those mitigating circumstances is the fact that prior to the shooting, the victim smashed two glass bottles over Sanchez's head.

What happened: According to York City Police, after Garcia-Castro scolded Sanchez, Sanchez responded by punching Garcia-Castro in the face and knocking him to the ground.

At that point Sanchez and his friend, Keith Vazquez-Cervando, teamed up to physically assault the victim, police said.

Garcia-Castro was able to get up and shatter two beer bottles over Sanchez's head, according to police.

Sanchez then ran to retrieve a sawed-off shotgun he had stashed nearby, while Garcia-Castro walked quickly toward his cousin's back door, police said.

Sanchez shot Garcia-Castro in the back as the victim was opening the door, police said.

Co-defendant: Vazquez-Cervando, 20, spent 333 days in York County Prison before homicide charges against him were dismissed on May 29.

Instead, he pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited offensive weapon. Russell said that weapon was a sawed-off shotgun, but not the sawed-off shotgun Sanchez used to kill Garcia Castro.

There was no evidence Vazquez-Cervando was involved in the murder, she said.

He was sentenced to time-served, but also was sentenced to an additional 147 days in prison for a probation violation, Russell has said.

Defense attorney Chris Ferro disputes allegations Vazquez-Cervando helped beat up the victim prior to the shooting.

"He had no involvement with the victim that evening, and that would include the beating," Ferro has said.

-- Liz Evans Scolforo can also be reached at levans@yorkdispatch.com.