MIDLAND A 20-year-old Midland man was sentenced by jury Monday to over 60 years in prison for murder, tampering with evidence, and theft of a firearm.
Friday afternoon, a jury found Nikolas Ty Moreno guilty on all three counts after about three hours of deliberation. The jury assessed punishment at sixty years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for murder, five years for tampering with evidence, and two years for theft of a firearm after about an hour of deliberation.
According to a Midland County District Attorney’s Office news release, the evidence presented in the case showed that on July 31, 2021, the defendant and the co-defendant had gone to an associate’s house to buy narcotics. Both were armed. At the house, he exchanged LSD for marijuana with the 15-year-old victim. After the exchange, Moreno, the victim, and the co-defendant left to meet the associates at Al’s Grocery to try and buy alcohol. Moreno, the victim, and the co-defendant never went to Al’s and instead went to Parkway Drive off Lamesa Road.
A struggle occurred in the vehicle between the victim and the defendants. The vehicle careened out of control into the draw and became stuck. Moreno then pulled a gun and shot the victim in the left side and the back three times. The victim was able to escape the vehicle. He attempted to crawl away, only to be shot in the back again, the release said.
Moreno fled to his grandmother’s house to hide the two firearms used. Both firearms were stolen earlier in the year. The co-defendant fled to his aunt’s house. The aunt called the police. The co-defendant spun a tale that sent officers on a wild goose chase for over an hour. Moreno eventually arrived and led the officers to the scene. Moreno denied all wrongdoing to the police. The forensic evidence and ballistics proved that Moreno was the shooter, and the shooting was not self-defense, the release said.
During punishment, the evidence showed that in October of 2020, the defendant had been arrested for Burglary of a Habitation where firearms were stolen. The evidence also showed that after the defendant was released on bond in August of 2021 for the murder, he was arrested 5 times for felony offenses: Evading in a Motor Vehicle and Tampering with Evidence, Possession of a Dangerous Drug believed to be fentanyl, and three incidences of Possession of a Controlled Substance – fentanyl, the release said.
The range of punishment for murder is 5 to 99 years or life in prison. The sentences will run concurrently.
The case was prosecuted by Midland County Assistant District Attorneys Kyle McCardle and Whitney Garnett. Moreno was represented by Odessa attorney Israel Guardiola. The trial was held in the 441st District Court and presided over by visiting Judge James A. Bobo.
