A Maryland family is relieved a man convicted of killing a grandmother will spend decades in prison, but they remain traumatized by the crime.
Sammie Warren of Bowie was sentenced to 50 years Friday after a jury found him guilty of second-degree murder and gun charges in 56-year-old Filomena Vasquez’ death.
“It’s a mix of emotions, but I do thank God because justice was made,” said the victim’s daughter, Elena Vasquez-Alfaro.
The shooting stemmed from a dispute the victim’s son had with Warren over a used car sale. When Warren demanded his money back, her son refused. Then Warren allegedly sent threatening text messages.
About 11:30 p.m. on New Year’s Day 2020, Warren fired shots into Vasquez’ home in the Landover Hills area of Prince George’s County, prosecutors said. One of those bullets hit Vasquez, who was praying and reading her Bible at the kitchen table.
“She was a great woman, and her legacy will live forever,” Vasquez-Alfaro said. “She will forever live in my heart and my mind.”
Vasquez was a devoted wife, mother and grandmother. Her daughter was so traumatized she had to move out of their home.
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Prosecutors urged the judge to give Warren 65 years. They said judges had given him other opportunities and second chances to get on a better path, but he continued to commit crimes and carry guns.
Warren was on probation at the time of the shooting. In 2016, he was convicted of reckless endangerment after a gun accidentally fired, killing his best friend.
He’s been arrested 11 times since then, prosecutors said.
Warren has maintained his innocence, but he did speak at his sentencing and spoke directly to the victim’s family, saying, in part, “Even though I didn’t do this crime … I truly feel sorry for the family. I pray every night for their peace and well-being.”
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