Texas convict executed for 2001 murder of 5-year-old girl abducted during a Christmas shopping trip

HUNTSVILLE, Texas — A man convicted of abducting and killing a 5-year-old girl who was at a Walmart store with her family in 2001, was executed Thursday night in Huntsville, Texas.

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David Santiago Renteria, 53, was injected with a lethal dose of pentobarbital Thursday, according to the El Paso Times.

He was pronounced dead at 7:11 p.m. CST, according to The Associated Press.

He was punished for the death of Alexandra Flores. Prosecutors said that Alexandra was the youngest of eight children. She was with her family at the Walmart in El Paso on Nov. 18, 2001. According to the AP, she was led away from the store by Rentieria. She was strangled to death and her body was set on fire. Her remains were found the following day in an alley about 16 miles from the store.

Blood found in his van matched the child’s DNA, prosecutors said, according to the AP. His palm print was also found on a plastic bag that was placed over the girl’s head before she was set on fire.

“I’m sorry for all the wrongs I have done. And for those who have called for my death, who are about to murder me, I forgive you,” he said in a final statement, according to the AP.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined two separate defense requests for a stay earlier in the day Thursday, the AP reported.

“I’ve always been a supporter of the death penalty and from a law enforcement perspective, I just think some people are too dangerous to be in our society and that is certainly one individual who I think that that the death penalty is absolutely appropriate,” El Paso County Sheriff Richard Wiles said of Renteria, according to the El Paso Times. “It’s a long time coming. I think it’s been what? Twenty-one years. I was actually the assistant (El Paso police) chief, (Carlos) Leon was the chief when that horrific crime occurred. It was really tough on everybody. I can’t even imagine what that family went through and what they’re still going through today.

“Hopefully, this will give them a little bit of relief to help them in their recovery that is going to take the rest of their lives, Wiles said. “I can’t even imagine losing my 5-year-old daughter to such a horrific crime.”

There have been 23 executions in the United States this year. Renteria was the eighth inmate in Texas to be executed this year, the AP reported.