2nd convicted killer gets life in prison for role in 2020 Scottsdale murder-for-hire plot

PHOENIX — A second convicted killer was sentenced to life in prison this week for his role in a murder-for-hire plot that left a Scottsdale woman dead three years ago, authorities said.

Jose Antonio Beltran, 31, was found guilty of first-degree murder, two counts of attempted first-degree murder and first-degree burglary in September 2023, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

A judge sentenced him Monday to natural life in prison plus two 20-year terms for the Dec. 8, 2020 shooting.

A co-defendant, Adrian Arthur Espinosa, was previously sentenced to life in prison in April 2023.

What is known about Scottsdale murder-for-hire plot?

The men were convicted of fatally shooting one woman and trying to kill two others after breaking into a home in the area of 90th Street and Sweetwater Avenue, near Thunderbird Road and the Loop 101 Pima Freeway.

The Scottsdale Police Department identified the victim as 53-year-old Andrea Marina Garcia.

Prosecutors say the shooting was part of a murder-for-hire plot, but the motive behind the killing was never revealed.

“This family has been robbed of a lifetime with their loved one all at the hands of a callous individual,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a press release Friday.

“Our prosecutors worked tenaciously to bring this defendant to justice, which will keep him from hurting anyone else in the community.”

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