LYNN — A Lynn teen pleaded guilty to second-degree murder on Thursday, in connection with the killing of 19-year-old Pablo Villeda.
Emanuel Marrero, 19, of Lynn, pleaded guilty as his trial was set to begin on charges that he allegedly opened fire during a party three years ago, killing Villeda and injuring six others, according to the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Rachael Rollins.
Judge Linda Giles imposed the mandatory sentence of life in prison, ordering that Marrero, who was 16 at the time of the crime, be eligible for parole after 15 years and that his sentences on the non-fatal shootings be served concurrently, according to the DA’s office.
“We accepted this plea because it delivers a significant measure of accountability for the defendant’s actions, which took Pablo’s life just as it was ready to begin,” Rollins said in a press release. “It also considers all the potential outcomes at trial and on appeal, as well as the defendant’s age at the time of the homicide. Nothing we do can bring Pablo Villeda back to his loving family, but I hope this final result can at least provide them with closure to this tragic event.”
On the morning of March 6, 2016, Chelsea Police responded to 120 Washington Ave. for multiple calls regarding a disturbance at a party held inside a vacant apartment, according to the press release. They arrived to find seven people, ranging in age from 15 to 22, with gunshot wounds.
Villeda was rushed to the hospital but died later that day. Marrero reportedly fled the scene but was identified after an investigation by Chelsea Police detectives and the Suffolk County State Police Detective Unit.
Aside from second-degree murder, Marrero’s charges included six counts of armed assault with intent to murder, six counts of assault and battery with a firearm, five counts of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, and related firearm charges for injuries inflicted on the six surviving victims.
