Honduran man who illegally crossed boarder sentenced to 60 years in prison for Jacksonville murder

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Yery Noel Medina Ulloa pleaded guilty to second degree murder and tampering with evidence related to the 2021 murder of Francisco Javier Cuellar.

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Action News Jax first brought you the details of the man accused of stabbing his roommate to death in November 2021 pleading not guilty to the charges.

Related Story: Man accused of stabbing roommate to death in Jacksonville pleads not guilty

For the plea agreement, Judge Mark Borello sentenced Ulloa to 60 years in Florida state prison.

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According to a release by the Fourth Judicial Circuit of Florida, law enforcement determined -- with assistance from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- that Ulloa, a Honduran citizen, was apprehended by boarder patrol agents in McAllen, Texas. He was attempting to illegally enter at the U.S.-Mexico border. Once apprehended, he provided a false name, date of birth and claimed to be a juvenile. He was served a notice to appear, released and later flown to Jacksonville.

“As we have seen time and time again, the federal government’s failure to secure our nation’s border has led to a travesty in a local community. This time, tragically, it was our community after an illegal alien murdered an innocent man. This 60-year sentence, however, ensures Medina Ulloa will never be able to harm another law-abiding citizen,” State Attorney Melissa Nelson said.

ANJ reported in October of 2011 when witnesses saw the suspect (Ulloa), was covered in blood walking along Homard Place off Monument Road they call 911.

Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office officers followed a blood trail that led them to a home on Lone Stat Road. There they found the body of 46-year-old Francisco Javier Cuellar.

According to an arrest report, a witness told JSO that he received a call from Ulloa saying he “killed uncle Francisco” because he “hit him.”

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The inside of the home had a surveillance system that captured the murder.