MAN GETS 21-YEAR TERM PALMDALE DEFENDANT CHARGED WITH KILLING VICTIM IN FIT OF JEALOUSY OVER EX-GIRLFRIEND.

Byline: Karen Maeshiro Staff Writer

LANCASTER - A 22-year-old Palmdale man was sentenced Tuesday to 21 years in prison for chasing down a man and shooting him three times in a fit of jealousy over a woman.

Thomas David Martinez, who also was charged Tuesday in a separate case connected to an inmate assault on sheriff's deputies at Men's Central Jail, was barely remorseful, prosecutors said.

``He said, 'It's not my fault; I hung out with the wrong people.' He apologized, sort of. He was not very remorseful,'' Deputy District Attorney Annette Peterson said.

Martinez was acquitted in December of murder but found guilty of voluntary manslaughter for shooting to death Basilio Eduardo Leon Jr. of Littlerock in November 1999 after finding him in the apartment of Martinez's ex-girlfriend.

Judge Carol Koppel, who presided over the trial, is no longer assigned to Lancaster Superior Court, so the sentencing was done via telephone. Family members of both the victim and defendant took the witness stand to speak into the phone so Koppel could hear them, Peterson said.

The sister and sister-in-law of the victim spoke about how they missed their brother, and that he was killed right before the wedding of another brother, Peterson said. One of the women had the necklace Leon was wearing the day he was killed, Peterson said.

Martinez's grandfather and uncle also made statements. The grandfather apologized, expressed disappointment in his grandson and said he thought he could reform himself and do good things, Peterson said.

Martinez's attorney had asked for a 10-year prison term, Peterson said.

Prosecutors in downtown Los Angeles filed weapons possession and assault charges against Martinez in connection with the Nov. 28 attack at the Sheriff's Department Inmate Reception Center.

Three deputies were injured after inmates, one armed with a jail-made knife, attacked them, records show.

Martinez surrendered to authorities in Bullhead City, Ariz., and was extradited to California to face charges.

Martinez's attorney, Dale Atherton, previously said jealousy was behind the shooting. Martinez had broken up with his girlfriend but had expected them to get back together. The couple had two children together and she was pregnant with a third, Atherton had said.

After drinking and using methamphetamine, Martinez went to the apartment wanting to reconcile, but instead found Leon there.