It began as a robbery but ended in a killing. Now, 2 Tacoma brothers have been sentenced
Two brothers who pleaded guilty to robbing a 27-year-old man of a necklace and bicycle in Eastside Tacoma and killing the victim when he confronted them have been sentenced.
The gunman, Adolfo Angel Gabriel-Miguel received 17 years in prison after he pleaded guilty Friday afternoon to second-degree murder and first-degree robbery in the July 4, 2023 killing of Alec Mercado. Gabriel-Miguel’s younger brother, David, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery. He was sentenced to 3 years and five months in prison.
The punishments Pierce County Superior Court Judge James Orlando imposed were in line with prosecutors’ recommendations. Adolfo Gabriel-Miguel, 30, pleaded guilty as charged, but one of David Gabriel-Miguel’s charges was reduced to manslaughter from second-degree murder.
“This resolution takes into consideration the facts of this case, defendant’s willingness to accept responsibility during this pre-trial stage, defendant’s lack of criminal history prior to these charges, and secures a number of affirmative conditions as well as several years in Department of Corrections to ensure compliance,” deputy prosecuting attorney Kyle Litzenberger wrote in court filings.
David Gabriel-Miguel, 23, received a sentence at the high end of the standard sentencing range for defendants prosecuted in similar cases, which is 31 to 41 months. The standard sentencing range for his older brother was 168 to 268 months in prison, including a 24-month firearm sentencing enhancement.
A third person present at the homicide was described as a suspect in charging documents, but a Tacoma Police Department spokesperson said Tuesday that investigators determined he was a witness and was not physically involved.
In interviews with detectives, Adolfo Gabriel-Miguel admitted to taking Mercado’s necklace and shooting him with a 9 mm handgun reportedly given to him by his younger brother. Neither defendant had prior felony convictions.
Five of Mercado’s relatives submitted victim impact statements to the court. His mother, who did not identify herself, asked the judge to reject the defendants’ plea agreements and allow the case to continue to trial.
The mother said Mercado’s death had affected everyone in their family, including Mercado’s young daughter. She wrote that her son was a confidant to friends and was always someone others could lean on.
“Everyone has the right to live life free from the threat of violence,” the mother wrote. “And the brutal attack by people who violate the human rights of others must be condemned.”
Mercado went to his mother’s house in the Salishan neighborhood about 90 minutes before the shooting to tell her he’d been robbed at gunpoint, according to court records. The mother later told police Mercado asked her to go with him to get his property back, but she told him she wouldn’t confront someone who had a gun.
Mercado left the residence, and a short time later his mother saw him being chased by three people through an alley behind her home.
She told police she went outside and pleaded with them, stating that no one needed to go to jail or die, but she said her son kept inciting a fight, records state. The suspects reportedly ran away, and Mercado chased them.
Nearby surveillance cameras captured most of the shooting that followed. At about 10:24 p.m., video reportedly showed three people chasing Mercado. Two minutes later, Mercado is seen chasing the three people. Video reportedly shows Adolfo Gabriel-Miguel point a gun at Mercado, who picked up a rock larger than a softball, ran at Gabriel-Miguel and was shot once.
Mercado’s family drove him to St. Joseph Medical Center after their calls to 911 failed to get through to anyone, according to court records. He was pronounced dead at the hospital. The City of Tacoma and the Police Department often warns the public ahead of the July 4 holiday not to call 911 to report illegal use of fireworks because it can cause delays for people experiencing real emergencies.
