Life sentence issued to Roberto Ortiz, man convicted of first-degree murder of ATT fighter Aaron Rajman
On Tuesday, Roberto Ortiz, 23, was issued a life sentence on a first-degree murder with a firearm charge in the July 3, 2017, killing of Aaron Rajman at his West Boca Raton home.
Prosecutors said Ortiz brought all the attackers together and provided the weapons, creating the situation that led to Rajman’s death.
Members of Ortiz’s family pleaded for a lesser sentence while Rajman’s family participated in a Zoom video.
“You will get to see your child and your nephew and your friend,” sister Logan Rajman said. “We will never ever see Aaron again.”
Aaron Rajman had just celebrated his 25th birthday a week prior to being shot to death during a home invasion.
Earlier this year, jurors found Roberto Ortiz guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion robbery, more than five years after Rajman’s death.
Circuit Court Judge Howard Coates initially sentenced Ortiz to three consecutive life terms but vacated the decision and ordered a pre-sentence investigation.
An indictment charging Ortiz, who was 18 at the time, and two other defendants said that swords, marijuana, narcotics, a scale and money were stolen from the residence south of Palmetto Park Road in what appeared to be a targeted home invasion.
In July 2019, Summer Church, who was 16 at the time of killing, and Jace Swinton, who was 18, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. Each was sentenced to 10 years in prison and 10 years of probation.
During Ortiz’s trial, jurors found prosecutors proved he was armed the night Rajman killed but did not prove that he fired the weapon. Court records released when Ortiz was indicted by a grand jury did not specify who fired the fatal shot.
Rajman had a pro MMA record 2-3 at the time of his death and trained at the famed American Top Team, his last fight taking place in October 2016.
