A 24-year-old East Palo Alto man was sentenced today in San Mateo County Superior Court to 38 years to life in prison for the beating death of another man during a robbery in 2002.

Remus Sam Langi was convicted by a jury in March of second-degree murder and robbery. He and two other East Palo Alto men attacked and robbed three other men on Garden Street near Pulgas Avenue on the night of Dec. 22, 2002.

According to prosecutors, the victims were punched and kicked repeatedly by the three men during the course of the robbery. One of the victims, Miguel Martinez, 19, of East Palo Alto, was beaten so badly that he was removed from life support three days later, on Christmas morning.

Langi, Sione Fakalata, 27, and Joseph Ngaloafe were all arrested at the scene of the attack. Fakalata was convicted of first-degree murder and robbery in October and was sentenced in January to 29 years and eight months to life in prison. Ngaloafe pleaded no contest to non-homicide charges and is facing 10 years in prison at his Sept. 11 sentencing, according to Deputy District Attorney Sean Gallagher.

Evidence from Langi's trial showed he punched Martinez in the jaw, causing him to fall back and hit his head on the street curb, knocking him unconscious, Gallagher said. Langi was found with Martinez's car keys and wallet after the robbery, Gallagher said.

— Bay City News Service

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