24-year-old Myakka City man gets life after killing teen in drug deal, prosecutors say
A jury convicted two people on first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm charges for the 2020 shooting death of a 17-year-old boy, the State Attorney’s Office said.
Hugo Maldonado, 24, and a 17-year-old were found guilty of killing a teen in a drug deal gone wrong, according to a press release issued Friday afternoon. The name of the teenage victim has not been publicly released.
A 17-year-old boy, who was 14 years old at the time of the shooting, was also convicted of first-degree murder and attempted robbery with a firearm. The Bradenton Herald is not naming the defendant because he is a juvenile.
Maldonado and the 17-year-old were two of four suspects arrested after the killing, alongside David Guillermo Consuegra Jr. and another teen.
On Sept. 15, Maldonado and the 17-year-old defendant were convicted in a three-day joint jury trial. Judge Frederick Mercurio immediately sentenced Maldonado to life in prison for murder with 15 years concurrently for attempted robbery with a firearm, the State Attorney said in the release. These are the maximum possible sentences for the charges, according to the release.
The teen’s sentencing has not been scheduled.
Court records show Maldonado filed a notice of appeal on Thursday and is asking for a new trial.
Similar charges are still pending against Consuegra Jr., who has a case management hearing on Oct. 12, court records show.
Convictions in drug deal shooting
The shooting began as an attempted robbery for THC edibles, the Bradenton Herald previously reported, but when the victims agreed to sell the marijuana edibles, Maldonado, Consuegra Jr. and the two teen suspects, attempted a robbery, firing multiple shots into the victims’ car.
The State Attorney’s Office said the defendants fled after the shooting but were found by law enforcement through the use of electronic messages recovered from the surviving victim’s cell phone.
The shooting took place at Verna Bethany Road and State Road 64 East, the Bradenton Herald previously reported. In addition to the 17-year-old victim, another 14-year-old victim with gunshot wounds was flown to a local hospital.
The 14-year-old survived the shooting and provided key evidence in the case, prosecutors say.
“This defendant was brought to justice as a result of the quick response and thorough investigation by the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the surviving victim’s perseverance. This case further highlights the importance of identifying and preserving digital evidence in criminal cases,” Dickey Hough, assistant state attorney, said in a press release.
