(KMIT – Mitchell, SD) Three people charged in connection with the murder of a man in a downtown Mitchell apartment in January 2021 were sentenced in Davison County Court on Wednesday. 29-year old Luis Perez-Melendez and 28-year old Jose Morales Acevedo went to the apartment of 38-year old Adalberto Machado to steal from him and collect drug money that was owed to them. They also wanted to confront Machado for being intimate with and injecting drugs into Perez-Melendez’s girlfriend, 23-year old Yanitza Ortiz, who was a co-defendant in the case. The three were drug dealers who sold drugs to Machado.
Perez-Melendez, who admitted to being the shooter, pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 75 years in prison with credit for 612 days served in jail. In sentencing Perez-Melendez, Judge Chris Giles noted that the crime was “heinous in nature after Machado was shot seven times in the head, chest, shoulder, and hands – almost like an execution.”
Morales Acevedo pleaded guilty to first-degree robbery and was sentenced to 25 years in prison with 12 and a half years suspended. He was also given credit for 612 days served in jail.
Ortiz pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. She was sentenced 10 years in prison on each count with 2 years suspended on each count. Her sentences are to run consecutively. Ortiz was also given credit for 612 days served on each count.
