ANNAPOLIS, Md. — An Annapolis man was sentenced Wednesday for a deadly shooting outside of an Edgewater restaurant.
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Back in December 2022, police arrived at the Los Chaparitos restaurant and found the victim, Luis Angel Meza-Santiago, lying on the ground in the parking lot with a small group of people surrounding him.
He later died at an area hospital.
Police canvassed the area with air and K9 support and were later alerted to a man who was being loud and disruptive at the scene. That man was later identified as the suspect, Alexander Salinas, who had later returned to the scene.
Investigators later found out that Meza-Santiago and Salinas were at the restaurant that night and were near a table that sat a larger number of people.
Surveillance video revealed Salinas leaving the restaurant and pulling out a gun, firing a single shot toward the group.
After the shooting, Salinas was tackled by a number of individuals and the gun changed hands several times. Police say it was never recovered.
While being interviewed by police, he gave multiple conflicting details about what happened but eventually confessed to unintentionally shooting his friend.
"The Defendant fired a shot at a group of individuals with the intent to kill or severely injure someone and ended up killing his friend instead. This was senseless gun violence and the victim's life was taken away by this impulsive act," State's Attorney Anne Colt Leitess said. "Luis was a loving son, nephew, brother, and the father of a young child. His family is devastated by their loss."
Salinas pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, to second-degree murder and use of a firearm in a crime of violence.
Although the State sought a 60-year sentence, the judge imposed a sentence of 40 years, with all but 15 years suspended. He will be placed on five years of supervised probation when he is released.
