This Is the 8th Texas Inmate Put to Death in 2023

First off, I have mixed feelings about the death penalty. Mainly because either someone in my family or someone I know has had a family member on death row or has been executed. But when I read about what El Paso native David Renteria did to a five-year-old girl, I get angry.

After learning about Renteria's crime, I do believe I may have at one time or another uttered the words, "That guy needs to go." Well, 53-year-old David Renteria was put to death by lethal injection on November 11, 2023, at 7 p.m. by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ).

Get our free mobile app

Prior to Renteria being executed, he said a prayer, sang a Spanish hymn, and then made this statement: "I am sorry for all the wrongs I have done, and for those who have called for my death, who are about to murder me, I forgive you."

Renteria went on to say: “There is not a day that goes by that I do not think about the fateful events of that day and what transpired,” he said, looking at his victim's relatives in the next room witnessing his execution. “There are no words to describe what you're going through, and I understand that.” He went on to tell his sister and a friend, watching from another room, that he was “good ... strong.

I love you all, I truly do. I'll see you in the next life.”
Source: Texas Department of Criminal Justice & AP

Renteria, a convicted sex offender prior to this incident, was accused of strolling through a Walmart in El Paso looking for his victim in the toy aisle. Surveillance videos show, moments later, the five-year-old child following Renteria out of the store to his vehicle.

Authorities proved that Renteria was responsible for her death because of blood found in Renteria's van with the child's DNA. Furthermore, prosecutors found Renteria's prints on the plastic bag that was wrapped around the child's body.

To date, Renteria is the 8th inmate to be put to death this year in Texas. As of today, according to TDCJ, there are currently 183 people on Texas’ death row, including seven women.