ROGERS, Ark. (KNWA/KFTA) — A seventh person is now facing charges in connection with the March 8 shooting death of a Rogers man, according to court documents.
Manuel Rodriguez, 15, was charged on March 12 with capital murder and engaging in violent criminal group activity.
Six other people face charges in connection with the shooting death of Andres Fonseca.
Jesus Rodriguez and Cristofer Nicasio (ages not listed) are charged with capital murder in connection with Andres Fonseca’s death, according to Benton County Prosecuting Attorney Bryan Sexton. The Benton County Sheriff’s Office website shows Rodriguez is also charged with engaging in violent criminal group activity.
Jordan Mandujano, 15, is also charged with capital murder in connection with Fonseca’s death. He is also charged with engaging in violent criminal group activity and hindering apprehension or prosecution. Sexton says Mandujano is being tried as an adult.
Three teens were arrested for capital murder in connection with Fonseca’s death March 10 and are also being tried as adults: Eileen Rocha, Jared Stiles and Amy Mandujano.
Heavily redacted affidavits say officers responded to a shooting around 12:09 p.m. that had just occurred at the intersection of South B Street and East Southern Trace Drive in Rogers.
When they arrived, officers found a Hispanic man, later identified as Fonseca, lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds to his body.
According to the affidavits, officers immediately rendered aid until medics arrived. Fonseca was taken to Mercy Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police found camera footage of a large gathering on the northeast corner of South B Street and East Southern Trace Drive. Near the group was a maroon Dodge Charger and a dark colored passenger car.
The affidavits say the group was standing together when Fonseca and a few people began to walk away and then stopped. Three people standing across from Fonseca begin to shoot three separate guns in his direction.
The affidavits say Fonseca can be seen in the video footage falling to the ground and then rolling several times. The video showed two people getting into the Charger and driving away. Two other people get into the passenger car and drive away.
According to the affidavits, the three people who fired the guns fled on foot. The affidavits say the people who fled on foot, in the Charger and the passenger car appear to be associated.
Police found 32 9mm shell casings in the northeast corner of the intersection. Police also found multiple pools of blood at the south end of the intersection where Fonseca’s body had fallen.
Multiple bullet holes were found on vehicles parked at a home in the southwest corner of the intersection. Several bullet fragments were also found in the same area.
Police learned that a Charger matching the Charger from the video was in the area of the neighborhood a couple of days before the incident.
According to the affidavits, more video footage was later found showing the lead-up to the shooting that police had seen in the prior video.
Nicasio and Rodriguez are scheduled for bond hearings on March 12 at the Benton County Courthouse at 10:30 a.m.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
