Teen accused of killing Asheboro teen faces first-degree murder charge, police say

Dolan Reynolds, Brayden Stamps and Justin Lundy

20 minutes ago

RANDOLPH COUNTY, N.C. (WGHP) — A teenager faces a first-degree murder charge in connection with a fatal shooting last month, according to a news release from the Asheboro Police Department.

Shooting

On May 3, around 9:30 p.m., officers responded to the area of ​​North Asheboro Park on Canoy Drive after receiving reports of shots fired in the area.

As police were on their way to the scene, an off-duty officer who worked at a local hospital reported that a gunshot victim had arrived via a personal vehicle.

The victim, 16 years old Pedro Ortiz-Pérezwas allegedly shot in the jaw and neck area by another 16-year-old boy who was standing outside the vehicle.

Police said May 3 that Ortiz-Perez was not the intended target of the shooting and was in critical condition.

A custody order was obtained for the juvenile suspect. However, these first attempts to find him were unsuccessful.

Search for the teenage suspect

Investigators later determined that the teenage suspect resided at a home in Statesville.

On May 10, around 10:30 a.m., Asheboro officers arrested the suspect with assistance from the Iredell County Sheriff's Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation and the Police Department from Greensboro.

The teenage suspect was taken to a juvenile detention center while Ortiz-Perez remained in critical condition following the shooting.

The victim dies from his injuries

Ortiz-Perez died from injuries he suffered in the May 14 shooting. As a result, police announced plans to present enhanced charges to the grand jury for indictment.

Ortiz-Perez was a sophomore football player at Southwestern Randolph High School.

Her parents say Ortiz-Perez won't truly be able to rest until someone is held accountable for her death.

On May 23, Asheboro police obtained arrest warrants for the parents of the teenage suspect charged with Ortiz-Perez's murder for helping the juvenile evade arrest in the week after the shooting .

The teenage suspect's mother, Denisse Vera-Covarrubias, 43, was found at her home and taken into custody. She was charged with accessory after the fact and given a $25,000 secured bond.

The suspect's father, Alfredo Martinez Ramirez, 38, turned himself in to authorities and was charged with accessory after the fact and given a $30,000 bond.

On Monday, a grand jury convened and upgraded the suspect's charges to first-degree murder. The suspect is in a Rowan County juvenile detention center.