A Hidalgo County jury sentenced a 23-year-old Alamo man to 60 years in prison on Monday after convicting him in the murder of an 18-year-old Donna High School student. 

Carlos Contreras was convicted in the death of 18-year-old Genaro Isaiah "Izzy" Castillo. Jurors returned with the guilty verdict on Wednesday after over four hours of deliberations.

Castillo was fatally shot seven times on Jan. 12, 2020 and his body was found near Donna Lake by a field worker.

According to previous reports, Contreras was arrested after bullet casings were found in his truck, and investigators learned that Contreras and Castillo had been arguing over money linked to “criminal activity.”

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The defense has asked the jury to consider the minimum sentence, but the state sought life in prison for Contreras, or a minimum of 70 years "for every shot Izzy received."

Following his sentencing, Contreras as taken into custody to begin serving his sentence immediately, and will be eligible for parole after serving 30 years.

When the verdict was read by the judge, Contreras' family did not show any emotion. His mother, sister, common-law wife and brother-in-law were all in attendance. 

Castillo’s family were emotional as victim impact statements were read. The family said Castillo was a “sacrifice” so that Contreras would no longer hurt anyone else. 

The family also told Contreras they can finally sleep knowing he’s behind bars.

Hidalgo County District Attorney Toribio “Terry” Palacios said the verdict did not come easy after about two weeks of testimonies.

Contreras was just 17-years-old when the murder happened.

The Castillo family will honor Izzy with a vigil outside the Hidalgo County courthouse on Monday evening.