Woman gets minimum of 16 years in death of man who was shot in 2021
LANSING −A woman was sentenced to a minimum of 16 years in prison Monday for shooting a Lansing man in 2021, leading to his death about a month later.
A weeping Ciara Jean Delgado, 30, apologized to the family of Stephen James Christy-Valdez and told a judge there was "no excuse for what I've done."
Delgado was on probation and had absconded from in-patient treatment when she shot 24-year-old Christy-Valdez, a longtime friend, because of something someone had said, according to statements in court on Monday.
The shooting happened on Nov. 30, 2021. Police initially described Christy-Valdez's injuries as non-life-threatening, but he died Dec. 29 after his condition worsened.
Early last month, Delgado pleaded guilty as a third-time offender to voluntary manslaughter and felony firearm possession. The habitual offender designation doubled her maximum possible sentence on the manslaughter count to 30 years.
Ingham County Circuit Judge Joyce Draganchuk sentenced her to 14 years, three months to 30 years in prison for manslaughter and imposed the mandatory 2 years for felony firearm possession. Delgado will have to serve the felony firearm sentence before she begins serving the manslaughter sentence.
Christy-Valdez's older sister, Lindsey Gonzalez, told Draganchuk her brother had "a big heart" and a contagious laugh.
"He always worried that everyone around him had what they needed," she said.
Contact Ken Palmer at kpalmer@lsj.com. Follow him on Twitter @KBPalm_lsj.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Woman gets minimum of 16 years in death of man who was shot in 2021
