Calling it “shocking to me that he would take a man’s life for $300,” Schuylkill County President Judge William E. Baldwin sentenced Rafael Valdez-Torres, 27, of Hazleton, to 26 to 52 years in prison.

“For the safety of society, you need to be off the street for a long time,” Baldwin said.

Joseph Becker, 36, of Summit Hill, survived the shooting, which happened Oct. 10, 2017, at about 2 a.m. in the backyard of a West Rowe Street home in Tamaqua. On Feb. 5, a jury found Valdez-Torres guilty of attempted murder in the first degree, inflicting serious bodily harm during a robbery, criminal attempt to commit robbery and aggravated assault, as well as misdemeanor counts of simple assault, possession of an instrument of crime, possession of a prohibited weapon and reckless endangerment.

Baldwin sentenced Valdez-Torres to 20-40 years on the attempted murder charge, and six to 12 years on inflicting serious bodily harm during a robbery, and one to two years on possession of an instrument of crime. The sentences are to run consecutively; the other charges were merged and included in the sentencing.

District Attorney Michael O’Pake, who prosecuted the case, pointed out that Valdez-Torres had shown no remorse, and had been “on the run” for three months after the shooting.

“This was without a doubt a senseless act of violence, precipitated by drugs — which are a scourge on our society and affecting the quality of life for the citizens of Schuylkill County,” O’Pake said. “His reckless, senseless act had its roots in drugs, and the maximum sentence is warranted.”

Public defender Bill Burke, who represented Valdez-Torres, asked for leniency.

“There is no mistake that the crime was rooted in drugs, and he has a problem which impaired his judgment,” Burke said, asking for an “element of mercy.” Burke said that Valdez-Torres would have opportunities for rehabilitation through programs at state prison.

The cement of the case against Valdez-Torres was a videotaped confession obtained by Tamaqua Police Chief Henry D. Woods. Less than a week after the shooting, the Tamaqua police department had identified Valdez-Torres, but felt he had fled the area so they enlisted the help of the United States Marshals.

U.S. Marshals located Valdez-Torres in Hazleton in January 2018. Marshals brought him to Tamaqua, where Woods placed him under arrest, read him his rights and set up the video for the interview.

During the video, Valdez-Torres said that Becker owed him money. When Woods asked, “Did you shoot him?” Valdez-Torres answered, “Yes.”

Becker, who was shot in the chest, testified during the trial that he went to the residence to buy heroin but encountered Valdez-Torres in the backyard. Becker is currently incarcerated at SCI-Mahanoy on criminal trespass and theft charges.