Man Pleads Guilty in Shooting Death of Teen (Gonzalez)

NEWS RELEASE –

July 20, 2018

Contact: Ken Lane, 720-913-9025

MAN PLEADS GUILTY IN 2017 SHOOTING DEATH OF YOUTH

A man accused of the shooting death of a male teen at a westside McDonald’s parking lot last November has pleaded guilty to murder.

Francisco Gonzalez (dob: 12-13-1995) pleaded guilty yesterday in Denver District Court to second degree murder (F2).  He was charged in November 2017 with first degree murder (F1).

On the night of November 24, 2017, Gonzalez shot 17-year-old Steve Soledad-Lopez in the McDonald’s restaurant parking lot located in the 2800 block of W. Alameda Avenue. The shooting followed a brief altercation between the two after the defendant accused the victim of striking the defendant’s vehicle as the victim maneuvered his own vehicle through the crowded parking lot.  The defendant then fled the parking lot.  Police investigating the case discovered Gonzalez was traveling to California by bus, an arrest warrant was issued, and Gonzalez was arrested in Las Vegas after the bus made one of its scheduled stops.

The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on September 7, 2018, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 5C.

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