Shooting suspect appears in Freeborn County Court
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(ABC 6 News) – Ben Vidal Moreno appeared in Freeborn County Court Friday on charges of manslaughter and assault.
Moreno, 32, faces one count of felony 1st-degree manslaughter and two counts of felony 2nd-degree assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly shooting Juan Vasquez Jr., 45, on 160th Street in rural Albert Lea.
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Witnesses to the altercation Aug. 9 that ended in Vasquez’s death told law enforcement officers that Moreno and Vasquez had argued and exchanged death threats over a package that Vasquez thought Moreno had diverted, rather than sending to him.
According to court documents, witnesses said both Vasquez and Moreno were armed, and multiple rounds were fired by each in the hour before the fatal shooting.
Vasquez Jr. died at the scene and Moreno was arrested two days later in Forest City, IA.
Moreno also faces consequences for probation violation and previous controlled substance arrest in Freeborn County Court.