Jury finds Broward County man guilty in 2020 death of Lake Worth Beach man
WEST PALM BEACH — Kenny Valle-Parra told Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office investigators he was in Broward County on the morning that shots were fired in a Lake Worth Beach neighborhood in December 2020, killing one man and wounding another.
But evidence showed the Broward County man was in Lake Worth Beach when 51-year-old Rigaberto Diaz-Mazariegos died and Tomas Domingo-Gonzalez was wounded in the shooting on the 100 block of North E Street, authorities said.
On June 9, a jury determined that there was sufficient evidence to find Valle-Parra, 21, guilty of second-degree murder and attempted second-degree murder. It also found Valle-Parra guilty of discharging a firearm from a vehicle.
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Valle-Parra faces sentencing on Aug. 17. will remain in custody as Circuit Court Judge Scott Suskauer requested a pre-sentence investigation and scheduled a hearing for Sept. 13.
State prosecutors sought to convict Valle-Parra on charges of first-degree and attempted-second degree murder. The state announced in October that it would not seek the death penalty. Valle-Parra faces up to life in prison when sentenced.
According to sheriff's office records, the shootings occurred shortly before 1 a.m. Dec. 20, 2020. Investigators said Valle-Parra drove to Lake Worth Beach and met with a man who was in another vehicle.
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Witnesses reported overhearing a confrontation and disturbance after Valle-Parra and his acquaintance parked their vehicles in front of a building. Surveillance-camera video showed three men approach the vehicles, which then began to pull away.
As Valle-Parra began to drive away in his Chevrolet truck, Diaz-Mazariegos appeared to throw something at the vehicle, causing Valle-Parra to stop the truck in the middle of North E Street, just north of Lucerne Avenue, investigators said.
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The surveillance video showed gunfire and muzzle flashes as Diaz-Mazariegos approached the truck, PBSO investigators said. The vehicle's license plate showed that it was registered to Valle-Parra.
Phone records placed him at the murder scene, according to PBSO records.
Julius Whigham II covers public safety and criminal justice for The Palm Beach Post. You can reach him at jwhigham@pbpost.com and follow him on Twitter at @JuliusWhigham. Help support our work: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Broward County man found guilty in 2020 Lake Worth Beach death
