Isle resident's killer imprisoned

A paraplegic receives life for the murder of the USC student

LOS ANGELES » A paraplegic convicted of killing a University of Southern California student was sentenced Friday to life in prison.

Angel Cruz was convicted in the 2004 murder of Max Hazlett, a 21-year-old Chinese and economics major from Hawaii. Hazlett, who had accepted a free ride from Cruz, was shot twice in the chest during a "robbery gone bad," Deputy District Attorney Hoon Chun said during the trial.

Jurors were shown a video of a police interview in which Cruz's parents admitted they helped their disabled son dump Hazlett's body. The defense sought to declare a mistrial, arguing the evidence may have been prejudicial.

Superior Court Judge Rand S. Rubin denied the request.

Cruz's parents were each charged with being accessories after the fact and were sentenced to several months in jail.