Jacksonville, FL — One of the men connected to the fatal crossfire shooting of 7-year-old Heidy Rivas Villanueva has now pleaded guilty.
Trevonte Phoenix faces 20 years in prison to life, under his plea agreement for second degree felony murder.
Investigators say Phoenix and Abrion Price arranged a robbery disguised as a gun transaction in a parking lot off 103rd Street on the Westside in August. After they allegedly robbed the victim, one of the victim's friends, Stanley Harris- who had been parked nearby- allegedly opened fire, and Phoenix shot back. A bullet believed to have been fired by Harris hit Heidy, who was sitting in a car nearby. The girl was waiting there with her father, while her mother was inside a restaurant picking up food.
Heidy was hit in the head and later died at the hospital.
Phoenix has now pleaded guilty, and Price and Harris are still awaiting trial. Price is charged with second degree felony murder, armed robbery, armed burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Harris is charged with third degree murder, possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent who committed a felony, discharging a gun from a vehicle, and shooting or throwing a deadly missile. Both men had pleaded not guilty.
Phoenix had also been charged with armed robbery, armed burglary, and possession of a firearm by a juvenile delinquent who committed a felony, but those charges are being dropped as part of the plea agreement with the State Attorney’s Office.
Two other people were arrested for conduct after the fact. One of them, Edward Garcia, has pleaded guilty as an accessory after the fact, for using his mother's car to drive the suspects after the shooting. Garcia's mother, Kezia Holmes, has been arrested for tampering with evidence, for allegedly taking her car to get repaired in an attempt to conceal officers from finding it.
A sentencing date for Phoenix has not yet been set. The court will reconvene May 13th to look at determining a sentencing date.
