A 17-year-old boy is dead and two other young men have been arrested in connection with his death after police say an Edmond drug deal went bad Fridaynight.
According to police, three teens--identified as Carlos Santos, 17; Jessey Gonzalez, 18; and Nicolas Gedela, 18--went to the Oxford Oaks Apartments nearthe corner of Second Street and Boulevard in Edmond near 10:00 p.m. on Friday to sell a quarter pound of marijuana for $850 to three unknown suspects.
As Gonzalez attempted to pull the car out of the parking space to drive away, one of the three unidentified suspects drew a gun and fired into the vehicle.The shot struck Santos in the head. The teen died of his injuries at an Oklahoma City hospital on Saturday morning.
Santos's friends, Gonzalez and Gedela, were each arrested in connection with the drug deal and death. Both are held without bond in the Oklahoma CountyJail on first degree murder complaints. Gedela also faces a charge of distribution of a CDS; Gonzalez faces additional charges of drug possession withintent to distribute and possession of drug proceeds.
Police say they are still looking for the three suspects involved in the drug buy who allegedly fired into the vehicle containing Gonzalez, Gedela, andSantos.
Even though Gonzalez and Gedela were friends of Santos, and even though they were not among the group who fired the shot that killed their friend, theyare charged with first degree murder under an Oklahoma law assigning felony murder charges when a death occurs in the commission of a drug crime orother specified felony:
A person also commits the crime of murder in the first degree, regardless of malice, when that person or any other person takes the life of a human being during, or if the death of a human being results from, the commission or attempted commission of murder of another person, shooting or discharge of a firearm or crossbow with intent to kill, intentional discharge of a firearm or other deadly weapon into any dwelling or building as provided in Section 1289.17A of this title, forcible rape, robbery with a dangerous weapon, kidnapping, escape from lawful custody, eluding an officer, first degree burglary, first degree arson, unlawful distributing or dispensing of controlled dangerous substances or synthetic controlled substances, trafficking in illegal drugs, or manufacturing or attempting to manufacture a controlled dangerous substance. 21 O.S. � 701.7(B)
If convicted of first degree murder, the two 18-year-olds face the possibility of life in prison without parole.
