A 17-year-old defendant accused in the shooting death of a 42-year-old man last spring is now set to stand trial this summer.
During the Feb. 13 reception court hearing, the teenaged defendant remained unwavering in his decision to secure a jury trial and confirmed his rejection of the state’s plea bargain, which had been placed on the record a week prior. On Feb. 6, the state’s attorney had offered the defendant an aggregate sentence of life, suspending all but 60 years, on the charges of first-degree murder and firearm use.
The defendant was handed a six-count indictment for the murder of Fredi Orozo Lua, which occurred the evening of March 22, 2025, on the 3200 block of Pulaski Highway. Evidence recovered from the crime scene included five 9mm shell casings and three live rounds.
Surveillance footage revealed two masked suspects, one of whom delivered the fatal gunshots. The perpetrators were seen boarding a Maryland Transit Administration bus to arrive at the shooting location, and later fleeing the area on foot.
A Spanish language interpreter will be made available for trial proceedings, which are set to commence June 8 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Videtta A. Brown.
