Roberto Ortiz convicted of first-degree murder of ATT fighter Aaron Rajman
Aaron Rajman had just celebrated his 25th birthday a week prior to being shot to death during a home invasion West Boca Raton, Florida in 2017.
Jurors deliberated for about two-and-a-half hours Tuesday afternoon before finding Roberto Ortiz guilty of first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion robbery in the July 2017, 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 Wednesday and ordered a pre-sentence investigation,” according to a report from MMAJunkie. Ortiz is now scheduled to be sentenced in October.
“Ortiz, now 23, was one of six people charged in Rajman’s death. Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office investigators said Rajman was shot the night of July 3, 2017, when a fight broke out after several men entered his suburban Boca Raton home,” the report said.
“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.
Three other defendants — Alton Anders, 33; Austin Baker, 30; and Cameron Burgess-Clark, 28 — are each awaiting trial on one count of first-degree murder and two counts of home invasion robbery.
Baker’s trial is scheduled to begin Sept. 16, and Burgess-Clark’s trial is set to begin in October. A trial date has not been set for Anders, whose next court hearing is scheduled for Sept. 14.
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.
