Albuquerque teen takes plea deal in murder of homeless man
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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. — One of the Albuquerque teens charged with the brutal murder of a homeless man changed his not guilty plea to guilty Wednesday.
Timothy Chavez, who is now 19, took a plea deal during a virtual court hearing Wednesday.
Chavez was just 15 when police say he and Anthony Gallegos, then 17, shot and killed Ronnie Ross on Menual near I-25 in 2018.
Investigators said the teens killed the homeless man for fun.
Ross was shot 12 times.
Had the case gone to trial, Chavez would have been tried as an adult.
Chavez pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, a charge that normally carries up to 30 years in prison. But the plea deal Chavez is taking cuts that in half.
He’s now facing no more than 15 years in prison.
A judge will sentence him at a later date.
