Fabian Martin Flores, who was facing a murder charge in connection with a shooting outside an East Side bar, pleaded no contest Friday to manslaughter in the October 2004 death of Archie Dejuan McDonald, 28.
Flores, now 23, was among a large group of people coming out of Peppers Cantina, 950 S. Wilmot Road, when gunfire was heard. McDonald was shot and a witness later came forward to say Flores was the shooter, defense attorney Alicia Cata told Pima County Superior Court Judge Gus Aragón. Although Flores did not admit guilt Friday, he did acknowledge prosecutors have enough evidence to convict him. Flores is facing a mandatory prison sentence of between three and five years.
Following the hearing, Deputy Pima County Attorney Mark Diebolt said a plea agreement was reached because of witness problems. One witness has credibility issues and another said a black man shot McDonald, Diebolt said. No gun was ever found either so authorities could not perform ballistics testing, he said.
People are also reading…
"Whenever you have large groups of people coming out of an establishment where alcohol has been served, you are going to get different versions of events," Diebolt said.
Flores will be sentenced May 30.
