SALISBURY, N.C. -- A jury has found an illegal immigrant guilty of second-degree murder in the death of a pregnant woman who was killed when that man, driving drunk, slammed into her car in February.

Police said Rigo Verto Guillen-Martinez had a blood alcohol level more than three times the legal limit when he crashed in Landis. Leeanna Newman, 20, and her unborn baby died a short time later.

Guillen-Martinez is also convicted of driving while impaired and hit-and-run.

Members of Newman’s family and even one juror broke down in tears as the verdicts were read.

"When they came back with what they did, I said, ‘Thank you, Lord, thank you,’" Newman’s grandmother, Rena Fox, told Eyewitness News.

Some gasps and sighs of relief were also heard in the courtroom. The young woman’s family said they finally have the justice they’ve been waiting for.

"We were nervous. We weren't sure it was going to come back our way, but when we heard, we all just hollered; we knew he was going to get justice,” said Newman’s mother, Bobbie Easley.

On Thursday they’ll have the chance to tell everyone in the courtroom how Guillen-Martinez’s actions have impacted their lives. After that the judge will likely hand down his sentence.

Guillen-Martinez could receive 23 to 30 years in prison without parole.

Justice has been swift in this case. Less than eight months after the crash, the jury for the case was selected on Monday, and then the prosecution presented its case on Tuesday. Early Wednesday the defense spoke, but Guillen-Martinez’s attorney did not present any evidence or call any witnesses.

The jury was given its instructions shortly before noon and returned the verdict around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday.

Guillen-Martinez’s attorney had tried to convince the jury during closing arguments that the defendant was not guilty of murder because there was no malice in his actions. He pushed for the defendant to be found guilty of misdemeanor death by a motor vehicle.

The jury disagreed and even determined there were aggravating factors that mean Guillen-Martinez should serve an even longer sentence.