A man about to stand trial in the fatal shooting of a co-worker in Dayton earlier this year pleaded guilty in Howard County Circuit Court Thursday morning moments before his trial was to begin.
Ismael Guerra-Vasquez, 37, of the 1400 block of 14th St., in Hyattsville, pleaded guilty to a first-degree murder charge Dec. 4 in connection with the death of Rodolfo Miguel Cervantes, 31, of Hyattsville.
Guerra-Vasquez is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2.
Cervantes was found shot to death inside a greenhouse in the 4900 block of Ten Oaks Road around 3 p.m. on May 23. Witnesses told police that Cervantes was an employee of the greenhouse and that he and Guerra-Vasquez, a fellow employee known to the witnesses as "Pastor," had gotten into an argument prior to the shooting.
The witnesses told police that Cervantes had been drinking that day, according to the charging documents.
The documents state one witness said they saw Guerra-Vasquez shoot Cervantes "multiple times" and then flee in a gray Nissan Altima with two others, who were not identified.
At 4:18 p.m. that day, an officer pulled over Guerra-Vasquez's car and arrested him, according to the document.
Police found four expended shell casings on Guerra-Vasquez's person, police said.
During a police interview, Guerra-Vasquez admitted to the crime, according to the documents.