Man convicted of 2005 'skateboard murder' released 

After spending 10 years in prison, the man convicted as a teenager for the brutal bludgeoning death of an elderly SLO man has been released from custody.

SLO County Superior Court Judge Linda Hurst ordered the release of Robert Roman Holguin April 27. Holguin was convicted of first-degree murder at the age of 13 in 2006, after he was found guilty of beating 87-year-old Gerald O’Malley to death with a skateboard in 2005. Holguin was initially sentenced to 42-years-to-life by a juvenile court judge, but due to his age, California law only permitted him to be incarcerated until his 25th birthday.

Holguin was eligible for early parole in 2014 and 2015, but in both instances Gov. Jerry Brown overruled the state’s Juvenile Parole Board. This time around, Brown declined to exercise his authority to reverse the decision, according to the SLO District Attorney’s Office.

Holguin, now 24, will be escorted to Texas were he will live with a family member and be under the supervision of that state’s authorities until he turns 25. 

“It is our hope that Mr. Holguin is remorseful for his brutal acts, that he fully appreciates his new freedom, and that he will commit himself to living a productive and crime-free life,” SLO District Attorney Dan Dow said in a written statement.