A 22-year-old El Paso man will spend 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to the 2025 smoke-shop attack that left a woman with severe head and spinal injuries. Hekter Enrique Carreto was sentenced Monday in a case that prosecutors described as part of an escalating pattern of violence.
Three Felonies, One 50-Year Term
According to KFOX14/CBS4, Carreto pleaded guilty Friday to aggravated kidnapping with intent to violate or abuse sexually, aggravated sexual assault and aggravated robbery. He received 50 years for those offenses, plus concurrent sentences of 20 years tied to a separate sexual-assault-of-a-child and burglary case, another 20 years for a January 2025 home burglary and 10 years for harassing a public servant. District Attorney James Montoya said Carreto caused “profound trauma” and showed an “exceptionally dangerous and escalating pattern of violence.”
The Attack Began At A Northeast El Paso Smoke Shop
The attack happened on March 28, 2025, when police found an unconscious woman behind a Northeast El Paso business. The El Paso Police Department said its investigation showed a man entered the shop, attacked and sexually assaulted the woman, took money, then dragged her outside before fleeing on foot. Detectives later identified Carreto and arrested him without incident.
Details from surveillance video and an arrest affidavit are grim: Carreto slammed the woman’s head against the floor at least nine times before dragging her to a back area, according to KFOX14/CBS4. The woman lost consciousness and suffered an open skull fracture and a spinal fracture. Police said Carreto took cash from the register and put it inside his clothing.
A Case That Began With Multiple Felony Charges
Hoodline’s earlier arrest report covered the case when Carreto faced multiple felony charges after investigators said surveillance footage identified him. Monday’s plea and sentencing mark a major new development in that earlier case, while the victim’s injuries remain the central human cost of the attack.
