Shop owner gets 60 years in teen’s murder

Published 7:03 pm Monday, April 7, 2025

A Smith County auto shop owner convicted of killing a Tyler teen on the Fourth of July last year was sentenced Monday to 60 years in prison.

Seferino Bautista-Renteria was found guilty Friday in connection with the shooting that killed 19-year-old Rawly “Eli” Sanchez. He was shot in the back of the head while he and his friends were making a U-turn near Bautista Auto Sales to correct a previous wrong turn.

Jurors took about three hours to reach their sentencing verdict. Bautista-Renteria will have to serve half of his prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole.

The state asked for life in prison, while the defense sought compassion and mercy from jurors. He faced anywhere between five years to life in prison.

In closing, Smith County Assistant District Attorney Kasey Sirianni described Eli as a gift who made an impact on his family, friends, and his community.

“He will forever be 19. Nineteen. He didn’t even make it out of his teenage years,” Sirianni said.

His future nephew will miss out on having his uncle. Eli was taken away from everyone, especially his family. He was part of a cohesive four-person family unit, and he was taken away from them.

For the past 277 days, the Sanchez family has been missing one of their own. Yet, they have handled it with great grace and strength, Sirianni said.

The Sanchez family won’t get to see potential milestones that would have happened if Eli had lived, such as a wedding, growing old, or having kids, Sirianni told the jurors.

The state asked the jury to return a life sentence verdict.

Bautista-Renteria’s lawyer said he is sorry for what happened to Eli, claiming he is not an evil or violent person. She said the jury should have asked him, while on the stand, if he was remorseful.

She asked the jury to show compassion toward Bautista-Renteria when deciding his sentence, noting that life can change in an instant, while also expressing respect for the jury’s guilty verdict.

Smith County Assistant District Attorney Emil Mikkelsen affirmed the jury’s verdict was correct. He said truth and justice are not about moderation or meeting in the middle.

Mikkelsen reminded the jury Bautista-Renteria had his wife and kids picking up the bullets he shot after the shooting. Everything he did warranted a life sentence, Mikkelsen said.

Bautista-Renteria did not express regret or apologize when he was on the stand.

“He kept calling this an accident. This was not an accident,” Mikkelsen said.

During the sentencing phase, Eli’s sister, his longtime best friend, and his baseball coach/family friend described Eli as someone who worked hard, showed kindness to others, and excelled in sports and academics.

Eli’s sister, Tori Sanchez, said her younger brother was her best friend, and they talked every day, even when she moved to Houston.

She is expecting her first baby this month, which is exciting but sad because Eli isn’t here. Her son’s middle name will be in honor of Eli. She said one of the hardest things will be telling her son why he doesn’t have an uncle anymore.

The name of the Tyler High Classic was changed to the Eli Sanchez Memorial Baseball Tournament, which the Sanchez family attended earlier this year. He had such a big impact on Tyler High, and it meant a lot to see their appreciation for Eli, Tori told the jury.

The Sanchez family created the Every Last Inning Foundation in Eli’s honor to provide scholarships for kids who cannot afford to play baseball.

Chris Burroughs, owner of the USA Prime East Texas baseball league, described Eli as a great kid and a role model to younger players. He was seen as a team leader and later became a coach.

“He was incredibly talented athletically, but I think the biggest thing was how he was as a teammate,” Burroughs said.

USA Prime East Texas created the Eli Sanchez Memorial Scholarship, which is awarded annually to one of its players.

Julian Martinez, Eli’s best friend since seventh grade, testified that Eli had a fun personality and excelled at everything he did. Eli graduated from Tyler Junior College in the spring of 2024, just months before he died. Martinez remembered “freezing” when he received the news that Eli had been shot.

For the defense, Bautista-Renteria’s family members described him as a gentle and kind family man, each saying he would be a productive member of society once he’s out of prison.

The family said they’ve never known Bautista-Renteria to be a violent person or involved in criminal activities. One family member said he would do anything for his family, including always attending the kids’ sports games.

Multiple family members said shooting a teenager is not something Bautista-Renteria would intend to do, calling the shooting an accident and mistake.