Four teens sentenced in 2022 shootings outside Des Moines' East High; longest is 60 years

Four times Thursday, Deborha Perez took the stand to confront her son's killers.

Jose David Lopez, 15, was killed outside East High School on March 7, 2022, in a drive-by shooting that also critically injured Jessica Lopez and Kemery Ortega, then 16 and 18, respectively. Prosecutors charged 10 teens, all juveniles at the time, with murder and other offenses, and all have now reached plea deals.

On Thursday, four of them — Gumaro Marquez-Jacobo, Henry Valladares-Amaya, Daniel Hernandez and Manuel Buezo — were sentenced to terms ranging from probation to 60 years in prison.

What led to the shooting?

Attorneys for some of the defendants have described the shooting as gang-related. Police have said some of the teens are believed to be involved in gangs, and that the shooting appeared to have been in response to relatively trivial disputes.

“Rather than having a schoolyard fight or just avoiding that person, this is how they handle it,” Des Moines police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said in October 2022.

Perez, who spoke at all four hearings, said she understands the actual target of the shooting to have been her other son, Jose's brother. Either way, she said, her life has been forever changed.

"You guys broke my family, the family I work very hard for as a single mother, waking up to go to work to put a roof over my children’s heads," she said during Hernandez's sentencing.

Previously: 10 teens, 6 guns, 42 bullets complicate trials in killing outside East High

Marquez-Jacobo: Probation for aiding and abetting

The shortest sentence Thursday went to Marquez-Jacobo, now 19, who was not present at the shooting but pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and other offenses. According to court filings, he gave one of the suspects a gun, and after the shooting gave several of them a ride in an attempt to avoid apprehension. Prosecutors agreed to recommend two years of probation in lieu of a four-year suspended sentence.

Marquez-Jacobo told the court that "I regret every single thing I did that day" and asked for a second chance. Perez, though, said he was just as culpable as the others in her eyes, and pointed to the letters of support he received from his family.

"To me, you aided to his death," she told him. "Your accomplishments hurt me because you took that away from me. Jose could have given me all that. Your parents are proud of you? That’s good. That must be really nice. I don’t get that."

Valladares-Amaya gets 50 years for shooting into crowd

Valladares-Amaya, now 19, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and two charges of willful injury. He admitted in previous hearings that he had fired a revolver from one of the vehicles toward the group that contained the victims.

His plea deal called for a sentence of up to 50 years, with no mandatory minimum term. Prosecutor Jim Hathaway said Valladares-Amaya provided assistance to investigators after the shooting.

Valladares-Amaya told the court that "I accept full responsibility for my actions and I very much regret them," and that he had learned to be more mindful of the consequences of his actions.

Perez, though, told him forgiveness wouldn't come quickly from her, and Ortega, who wrote a statement read at three of the hearings, described the seizures and severe headaches she has experienced since recovering from the gunshot wound to her head.

"Because of you I have to suffer with these the rest of my life," she wrote, adding, "You killed one person, and now he doesn’t get to live his life and prosper."

60-year sentence for Hernandez

Also now 19, Hernandez pleaded guilty in December to the same charges as Valladares-Amaya: second-degree murder and willful injury. In court and in court filings, he has admitted to aiding and abetting the killings, but without specifying exactly what role he played.

Under his plea deal, he received a term of up to 60 years in prison, with no mandatory minimum. Like the other teens, Hernandez spoke briefly to apologize to the victims and their families.

"Nothing I can say or do will fill the hole in your hearts," he said. "I will live with my regret for this for the rest of my life."

Buezo: 'I am as responsible as the people who did shoot'

Buezo, the last teen sentenced Thursday, was the driver of one of the three vehicles used in the shooting. Now 19, he too pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and willful injury.

Under his deal, the court agreed to suspend all but 20 years of his sentence. Both Hathaway and defense attorney Julio Gomez acknowledged his remorse and willingness to help investigators, including agreeing to testify against other suspects had they gone to trial.

Buezo apologized to the victims and said he deeply regrets that he didn't stop the attack when he had the chance.

"I had enough time to make a difference. I had options. I could have slammed on the brakes, I could have turned the truck around, I could have gone to a different area … but I took the easy route and continued to drive," he said tearfully. "... Even though I didn’t plan on the shooting, even though I didn’t shoot the gun, I am as responsible as the people that did shoot."

Perez, who has repeatedly castigated other defendants for the many opportunities they had to turn back, told him his words hit home.

"Out of the 10 kids, I felt every word you said," she told him. "I’m not saying I’m forgiving you. I’m just saying I hope you do have enough time to really mature and become a better man."

Where the other cases stand

As of Thursday, seven of the 10 charged in the shooting have been sentenced. Kevin Martinez and Braulio Hernandez-Salas were both previously sentenced to 20 years in prison, and Romeo Perdomo was sentenced to life in prison with the opportunity for parole.

Three more have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Octavio Lopez Sanchez Jr., Nyang Chamdual and Alex Perdomo all have sentencing dates set before the end of the year.

William Morris covers courts for the Des Moines Register. He can be contacted at wrmorris2@registermedia.com, 715-573-8166 or on Twitter at @DMRMorris.

This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: 4 teens sentenced in drive-by shootings outside Des Moines' East High