Killer of Brett Walquist in Puerto Rico gets 160 years

The 22-year-old man convicted of killing Brett Walquist of Beavercreek, during a break-in at an apartment in Puerto Rico that the Walquist family rented for a family vacation, has been sentenced to 160 years in prison.

Juan P. Carela Acevedo, found guilty Monday of stabbing Walquist to death in December in the western Puerto Rican beach town of Rincon, was sentenced immediately by Judge Jaime Rodriguez.Carela was convicted of murder in a non-jury trial, according to the Associated Press.

Brett Walquist's wife, Gerry, was in Aguadilla on Monday, testifying at the sentencing hearing, her parents said Monday night.

Police said Walquist was killed Dec. 30 when an assailant broke into his family's vacation apartment complex in Rincon, a town that attracts surfers and divers from around the world. Walquist apparently walked in on the intruder in the kitchen and was stabbed at least three times during a struggle in the middle of the night.

Police said the intruder used a knife from the kitchen.

Before the intruder fled, Gerry Walquist rushed and grabbed him, but he got away and escaped through a window. Neither she nor the couple's two children were injured.

Police said they were able to identify Acevedo as a prime suspect after they reviewed several security cameras close to the resort where the Walquist family was staying. During the attack, the suspect left a baseball cap with a wooden brim at the apartment, and surveillance video captured images similar to Acevedo's description, police said.

Walquist and his family arrived in Puerto Rico on Dec. 17 for an extended vacation.

He worked in Beavercreek as the Midwest representative for J&B Importers, a national wholesale distributor of bicycles, parts and accessories. He previously worked in his family's business, Alger Bikes in Grand Rapids, Mich., which is now run by his brother.

Memorial contributions for Walquist's two children can be made online at www.youcaring.com/BrettWalquistFund.

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