OAKLAND, Calif. -- Calling an 11-year-old's murder "a cruel, senseless, depraved and vicious act," an Alameda County judge Friday condemned an Oakland to death for her rape and strangulation more than eight years ago.

Alameda County Superior Court Judge Larry Goodman said the death of Jaquita Mack in Oakland in the early evening hours of July 23, 1999, was "a cold-blooded premeditated murder" and "a cruel, senseless, depraved and vicious act."

Goodman said the actions of DeMolle, who was 24 at the time and is now 33, were "predatory in nature" and were "shocking and callous beyond any civilized norm."

At the end of the guilt phase of DeMolle's trial on March 20, jurors convicted him of first-degree murder plus the special circumstances of murder during rape and murder while committing lewd and lascivious acts with a child under the age of 14.

The same jurors recommended the death penalty May 3 after about four days of deliberations.

In his closing argument in the penalty phase of the trial, James Giller, one of two attorneys for DeMolle, asked jurors to spare his life because he's "a caring individual."

Giller said DeMolle hasn't been convicted of any other crimes and the only evidence prosecutors presented of other bad acts by DeMolle were a fight when he was 15 years old and a threat he made against a construction worker in a parking lot confrontation when he was 23.

No charges were filed for either incident.

Jaquita was mainly raised by her aunt in Newark but was spending part of the summer of 1999 with her parents in East Oakland.

Brouhard told jurors in the guilt phase of the trial that she went bicycling late in the afternoon of July 23, 1999, and DeMolle, who lived nearby, spotted her and lured her into his apartment in East Oakland by promising she could play video games.

Brouhard said DeMolle, who has a wife and a young daughter, touched Jaquita all over her body and "the purpose of touching this girl was to get his sexual jollies with her."

The prosecutor said DeMolle killed Jaquita after raping her because he didn't want to get caught, telling police, "I didn't want to be behind bars the rest of my life."