WASHINGTON COUNTY, ARKANSAS, Ark. — The trial has been delayed for a man who is accused of attempted murder for his alleged involvement in the Lake Fayetteville shooting that killed one and injured four others in February.
According to court documents, an order of continuance was filed for 21-year-old Alberto Esteban-Cruz's case due to incomplete crime lab reports on May 13.
He is set to appear in court for a status hearing on Dec. 9, 2024.
Officers were dispatched to the Lake Fayetteville Environmental Studies Center on East Lakeview Drive at around 11:15 p.m. on Feb. 15 and found one man dead. Four other gunshot victims were taken to nearby hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries, according to the Fayetteville Police Department.
Everyone involved was men between 18 and 20 years old, Sgt. Stephen Mauk said. On Feb. 19, FPD identified the person killed as 18-year-old Christian Alexander Rodriguez-Barroso.
According to Esteban-Cruz's arrest report, video footage that showed the scene of the shooting was obtained. In the footage, there was a large gathering of people where a physical fight eventually broke out. Once gunshots were heard, the individuals were seen running to their vehicles and exiting the area.
The report says the video footage showed "muzzle flashes from the front passenger window of a four-door passenger vehicle." The passenger, Esteban-Cruz, was allegedly firing toward a vehicle while attempting to flee the area.
According to the report, the gunfire hit the driver of a silver Chevrolet Silverado. The driver sustained injuries to his arm. Although there was a passenger in this vehicle, that person was not injured. Police did recover an "intact bullet consistent with the size of a .45 caliber bullet," the report says.
On March 13, Esteban-Cruz arrived at the police department for an interview about his alleged involvement in the incident. The report says he admitted to being at Lake Fayetteville on Feb. 15 "for a prearranged fight between a group of his friends and an opposing group."
When both groups ran to their vehicles, Esteban-Cruz told police the driver of the Chevrolet pointed an AR-15-style pistol at him and his friends. The report says, "Esteban-Cruz stated he fired first and fired the full 10 rounds from his pistol at the Silverado."
Esteban-Cruz was arrested on March 15 for two counts of attempted murder and allegedly committing a terroristic act.
He pleaded not guilty to the charges related to his involvement in the shooting on April 12.
March report:
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