Albert Lea, MN (KROC-AM Information) – An Albert Lea man was sentenced right now for a deadly capturing.
34-year-old Ben Vidal Moreno was discovered responsible of three counts of second-degree murder and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm throughout his trial in March. The costs stemmed from the dying of 45-year-old Juan Vasquez Jr. at a rural property close to Albert Lea in August, 2022.
In accordance with the criminal complaint within the case, Moreno was accused of stealing a package deal of drugs that was presupposed to have been delivered to the sufferer. The courtroom doc indicated that previous to the deadly capturing, the 2 males exchanged threats to kill each other throughout confrontations over the a number of weeks that adopted the incident involving the stolen package deal.
Closeup of Lights Flashing on a Police Automotive
The costs alleged that, about an hour earlier than the homicide, Vasquez had gone to the property the place he was killed and “shouted out” for Moreno. It was alleged that Vasquez fired two shots from a handgun at Moreno, however the bullets missed. Following that, Vasquez and one other man drove away from the property and went to a on line casino in northern Iowa.
In accordance with the criminal complaint, the 2 males later returned and have been greeted by gunfire that struck their car. The courtroom doc says investigators discovered proof that prompt the car was hit by buckshot from a shotgun and it induced vital injury and flattened the tires.
At that time, witnesses advised investigators that Vasquez walked down the driveway with a handgun in his pocket and shouted at Moreno, who responded by fatally shooting Vasquez with a rifle. Moreno then fled from the crime scene and was later arrested at a house close to Forest Metropolis Iowa.
The proof listed within the grievance additionally included recordings of telephone conversations from the Freeborn County jail throughout which Moreno implicated himself within the crime.
He was sentenced right now to almost 40 years in jail with credit score for the 659 days he has already spent in jail since his arrest.
