LAREDO, Texas – A 20-year-old from Texas has received a 33-year prison sentence after a shocking attack in which he murdered his ex-girlfriend’s stepfather. Tomas Aguilar, who was 18 at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to the brutal killing of 42-year-old Oscar Bedarte in his Laredo home.
The crime, which took place on March 30, 2022, jolted the quiet Iturbide Street community as Aguilar broke into the family residence in the early hours, navigating through an unlocked door. Using a kitchen knife from the home, Aguilar assaulted Bedarte while he was sleeping, eventually leading to fatal wounds despite the victim waking up during the attack.
The early morning silence was further broken when Aguilar, after fleeing, made a 911 call that led police to the scene around 1:30 a.m. There, they discovered Bedarte lifeless, with multiple stab injuries, and pronounced him dead at the location.
Initially, Aguilar attempted to mislead the police by fabricating a tale of self-defense. He claimed he had been attacked by an unknown assailant from whom he managed to take the knife and defend himself. He even displayed minor injuries to support his concocted story.
However, law enforcement quickly questioned Aguilar’s narrative as forensic evidence at the scene contradicted his account. The blood patterns and other details at the home did not align with a struggle but rather a one-sided attack. Upon further interrogation, Aguilar admitted not only to his presence at the scene but also to Bedarte’s murder, detailing a premeditated assault fueled by resentment towards his relationship with Aguilar’s former girlfriend.
During the investigation, Aguilar disclosed that his actions were driven by a perceived injustice related to his ex-girlfriend, Bedarte’s stepdaughter, toward whom Aguilar harbored anger. He confessed that the idea of killing Bedarte had been on his mind for months, culminating in that fatal night when he was overcome by rage.
Following his arrest on the same day as the murder, Aguilar remained in custody leading up to his trial and consequent conviction where he faced the significant sentence.
Bedarte is mourned by five children and remembered by friends and family as a man full of life, who loved music, dancing, and was always ready with a joke to lighten the mood.
Tomas Aguilar’s punishment reflects the severity of his actions as he begins his decades-long term in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. The state law will determine his eligibility for parole, marking a long period before any possibility of reclaiming freedom. This case leaves a community mourning a jovial spirit and reflecting on a senseless act of violence that stemmed from misguided vengeance.