Immigrant given life without parole for 2019 murder of new father who wouldn't buy alcohol for teens: DA

[useapen]

On January 29, 2024, a jury found Juan Deras Escalante guilty of first-
degree murder and 4 counts of discharging a firearm into occupied property
connected to the death of 41-year-old Domingo Venencio-Tapia, who was a
new father.

Previous | Murder suspect in custody after 8-hour long standoff in
southwest Charlotte

Escalante was sentenced to life without parole in prison for the first-
degree murder charge and given between 8 years, 4 months, and 14 years for
the other charges.

Officials say that on April 29, 2019, then-18-year-old Escalante and his
co-defendant, then-17-year-old Gerardo Lagunes, were at a restaurant on
South Boulevard and asked Domingo Venencio-Tapia to buy alcohol for them,
to which Venencio-Tapia refused.

According to authorities, Escalante and Lagunes then got into a car and
stopped in front of the restaurant. Escalante fired five shots at the
establishment—one of the shots hit and killed Venencio-Tapia.

The next day, police say they arrested Lagunes without issue. Escalante
was found later that day; however, he refused to surrender to authorities,
leading to an eight-hour standoff. Escalante was later taken into custody.

Now-22-year-old Gerardo Lagunes previously pleaded guilty to accessory
first-degree murder after the fact and was released from prison in April
2023, according to the NC Department of Adult Corrections website.