An illegal immigrant who was arrested for allegedly murdering his girlfriend in Nipomo, but then let go, will serve prison time for illegally entering the United States before being deported for at least the second time. [KSBY]

Julio Cesar Alonso-Mata, who was last deported to Mexico in Aug. 2016, was living in a Nipomo home with his girlfriend, Paulina Ramirez-Diaz, and her parents. On May 31, Ramirez-Diaz was found stabbed to death inside the home, and shortly afterwards, San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s deputies arrested Alonso-Mata for the murder.

The SLO County District Attorney’s Office charged Alonso-Mata with murder, and he appeared in court, where he pleaded not guilty. Then in July, prosecutors announced they were dropping the case against Alonso-Mata because of a lack of evidence.

Upon being released from SLO County Jail, Alonso-Mata was picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and taken into federal custody. On Monday, the United States Attorney’s Office in Los Angeles announced Alonso-Mata had been sentenced to 27 months in prison and three years supervised release for illegal reentry into the country.

SLO County District Attorney Dan Dow said Alonso-Mata will serve at least 80 percent of the sentence, after which ICE will deport him.

After Alonso-Mata is deported, United States authorities will not be monitoring him. If he were to return to the country within three years of being deported, Alonso-Mata would face a stiffer sentence.

Alonso-Mata has a criminal record that includes multiple felony convictions. In 2014, he began serving a four-year sentence for evading or attempting to evade a peace officer while driving recklessly, as well as for possession of a controlled substance, burglary, vandalism and driving under the influence causing bodily harm. Alonso-Mata was convicted of each of the crimes in Santa Barbara County.

At the time of Alonso-Mata’s 2016 expulsion from the United States, the Desert Sun featured him in an article about deportation.