Minor who shot AR-15 into homes, seriously injuring Asheville restaurant worker sentenced

ASHEVILLE - A teenager who shot an AR-15 at least 50 times, hitting homes occupied by families and seriously wounding one man, has been sentenced to more than nine years in prison.

Derek Matt Espinoza-Rangel, 18, of Asheville, pleaded guilty May 28 to three counts of discharging a weapon into occupied dwellings, and one count of assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, according to District Attorney Todd Williams.

Buncombe County Superior Court Judge Steve Warren sentenced Espinoza-Rangel to nine to 13 years in prison, plus more than two years probation, Williams said in a news release.

Alejandro Cedillo Morales was in his house when he was shot in the neck, rib cage and flank during the Feb. 3, 2023, rampage north of Woodfin in which bullets hit three homes and multiple vehicles, according to Williams and a GoFundMe page. Morales, who worked for the award-winning downtown restaurant Cúrate, underwent multiple surgeries and was released from the hospital three weeks later, those sources said. The Citizen Times was unable to contact Morales. It also reached out to restauranteur and Cúrate owner Katie Button who started the GoFundMe page, which has raised nearly $110,000 for him.

The degree of Morales' injuries and of his recovery were not clear. Williams told the Citizen Times he did not feel it was his place to go into detail about Morales' health but said he believed he had "made a pretty good recovery."

Many homes in the neighborhood of the shooting were occupied by multigenerational families with children less than 10 years of age, the district attorney said. Morales' family members present in the home included six children and his sister. No one else was injured.

Morales was an "unforeseen" and "unforeseeable" victim, Williams told the Citizen Times May 30. The DA declined to comment on Espinoza-Rangel's motivation or if he had a target. He also declined to comment on how Espinoza-Rangel, who was 17 at the time, got the gun.

Deputies found more than 50 shell casings at the scene that were fired from a .223 caliber AR-15 rifle. An AR-15 was later located in Espinoza-Rangel’s home, along with "significant" amounts of .223 and 9mm ammunition, Williams said. The AR-15 was seized and ordered destroyed.

Assistant District Attorney Katie Kurdys who prosecuted the case said it served as a "staggering reminder of the importance of securing firearms and the elevated dangers presented when guns are left unsecured and accessible by minors."

The Citizen Times reached out to Espinoza-Rangel's attorney Assistant Public Defender Timothy Henderson as well as Buncombe County Public Defender Sam Snead.

Espinoza-Rangel was initially charged in juvenile court where proceedings and records are not public.

The District Attorney’s Office submitted the case to a Grand Jury for indictment and transferred it to Superior Court to prosecute Espinoza-Rangel as an adult.

Williams said Espinoza-Rangel's attorneys in court said their client didn't foresee the impact of his actions due to his age and that he fully accepted responsibility, weeping during the presentation of crime scene photographs and other evidence.

"The victims remain deeply affected by this incident but were consulted about the disposition and expressed satisfaction with the result," the DA said in the release. Espinoza-Rangel was ordered to have no contact with prosecuting witnesses and to pay nearly $20,000 for property damage.

Joel Burgess has lived in WNC for more than 20 years, covering politics, government and other news. He's written award-winning stories on topics ranging from gerrymandering to police use of force. Got a tip? Contact Burgess at [email protected], 828-713-1095 or on Twitter @AVLreporter. Please help support this type of journalism with a subscription to the Citizen Times.

This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Minor shot AR-15 into homes, hit downtown Asheville restaurant worker