Five charged in accidental gun death of Athens man

An AR-15 pistol similar to the one that killed Juan Sanchez

By Joe Johnson

Five people have been criminally charged in the gun related death of a man at an Athens trailer park last month.

The suspects reportedly were all present when 21-year-old Juan Sanchez was fatally shot, and they told police that it was an accident.

However, after an investigation by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department, it was determined that they all were criminally responsible for the victim’s death.

Charged with involuntary manslaughter are Alexis Mendez, 19, Brian Tapia, 20, Daniel Sanchez, 20; Agustin Benevides Negrete, 22; and Mauricio Benevides, 24.

The police department would not cite specific reasons for why the suspects were criminally culpable for Sanchez’s death.

“Detectives believe that based on the evidence, all five played a role that met the elements of involuntary manslaughter and were charged appropriately,” ACCPD spokesman Geof Gilland said. “To protect the integrity of the case, that is all the information we are releasing. We believe the five individuals have been appropriately charged...The evidence has been forwarded to the district attorney for review and prosecution.”

Under Georgia law, “A person commits the offense of involuntary manslaughter in the commission of an unlawful act when he causes the death of another human being without any intention to do so by the commission of an unlawful act other than a felony.”

Brian Tapia

Alexis Mendez

Agustin Benevides Negrete

Mauricio Benavides

Daniel Sanchez

According to the initial police incident report, on the night of Feb. 11, officers responded to Pinewood Estates North off of U.S. Highway 29 North to investigate a reported shooting.

Upon arrival they found Juan Sanchez lying unresponsive on the ground and with a bullet wound to his back, the report noted; The five young men who would be later arrested were all at the scene.

The suspects initially told police that they had been in an SUV with Sanchez who, when he was about to leave, asked for his gun and then they heard the weapon fire and Sanchez yelling that he had shot himself.

Tapia’s initial statement was that he was holding the gun by the handle to give it to Sanchez when the gun when it went off, according to the police report.

“Brian said that Juan had just bought the gun earlier this date and he was just checking it out,” according to the report. “Brian said that they removed the magazine while looking at it, but he didn't realize there was a bullet in the chamber.”

Tapia said that Sanchez had not grabbed the gun from him, and that “he must have pulled (the trigger) on accident while picking it up,” according to the incident report.

Sanchez was transported to the hospital, where he later died.

The report indicates that police found the white AR-15 semiautomatic pistol on the ground next on the SUV’s driver’s side and that the weapon was placed into evidence.

All five suspects were denied bail by a Magistrate Court judge, and they were being held at the county jail.