The man received a 75-year sentence for sexually assaulting a child and selling fentanyl to minors, highlighting a troubling pattern of criminal behavior.
SAN ANTONIO — A Hays County jury has sentenced a man to 75 years in prison for sexually assaulting a child, according to the office of Criminal District Attorney Kelly Higgins.
Izaiah Vela, 29, was sentenced Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, following a punishment hearing before the same jury that convicted him earlier in the case.
On Jan. 15, 2025, the jury found Vela guilty of one count of sexual assault of a child. Evidence at trial showed Vela met the minor victim through Instagram, acknowledged that he knew she was underage and persuaded her to meet him by promising her marijuana, prosecutors said.
After the two met and Vela provided the marijuana, he sexually assaulted the victim, according to testimony. Evidence showed Vela repeatedly displayed a firearm during the assault, including holding it against the victim’s back. Prosecutors said Vela later admitted to the assault in Instagram messages with the victim and attempted to arrange another meeting for the same purpose.
Authorities testified that Vela later deleted the message exchange and factory-reset his phone before his arrest.
Following the guilty verdict, jurors heard additional evidence during the punishment phase that Vela was a repeat offender.
Prosecutors presented evidence showing he had prior convictions for three counts of burglary of a motor vehicle and had twice been sent to prison — once for evading arrest with a motor vehicle and once for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Evidence also showed he was dealing marijuana around the time of the sexual assault.
Jurors also heard evidence that several months after the sexual assault, Vela sold fentanyl pills to multiple individuals, many of them high school students in Hays County, including a 15-year-old sophomore.
After purchasing seven fentanyl pills from Vela at a discounted price, the teenager died on Sunday, Oct. 1, 2023, from fentanyl toxicity, prosecutors said. Her mother discovered her unresponsive the following morning when she went to wake her for school.
Investigators tied Vela to the fentanyl sales and the teen’s death through Instagram messages, Cash App transactions and FLOCK license plate reader images, according to testimony. Prosecutors said that after learning of the overdose, Vela deleted his messages with the victim and removed the Instagram account he used to sell fentanyl.
Vela was arrested in November 2023 when he reported to his parole officer. He was on parole at the time for his firearm conviction.
After hearing all testimony, the jury sentenced Vela to 75 years in prison.