A Springdale man has been sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to his role in a fatal shooting at Lake Fayetteville in 2024, according to court records.
Alberto Esteban-Cruz, 29, entered a guilty plea to one count of manslaughter and one count of attempted aggravated assault, receiving a combined sentence of 12 years in the Arkansas Department of Correction. The incident occurred on the evening of July 20, 2024, near the lake’s western shoreline, where a confrontation between two groups escalated into gunfire, resulting in the death of 26-year-old Fayetteville resident Miguel Angel Rodriguez.
According to the Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, Esteban-Cruz was one of three individuals initially charged in connection with the shooting. Two others remain pending trial. Springdale Police investigators determined that the altercation began as a verbal dispute that quickly turned violent. Esteban-Cruz admitted to firing multiple rounds in the direction of the victim’s group during a hearing in Washington County Circuit Court last week.
Rodriguez, a local landscaper, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three others were treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Authorities said the shooting stemmed from a prior disagreement between individuals in the two groups, though the exact nature of the conflict has not been disclosed publicly.
Esteban-Cruz, who has prior misdemeanor convictions for disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, was taken into custody the night of the incident following a brief search by Springdale and Fayetteville police. He has remained in the Washington County Jail since his arrest.
The plea agreement was reached after negotiations between the prosecution and defense, though Circuit Judge Sarah Caldwell noted during sentencing that the use of a firearm in a public space warranted a significant term of imprisonment. No additional charges are expected in relation to Esteban-Cruz’s involvement.
The case remains open as two other defendants prepare for trial. A date has not yet been set for their arraignment. The prosecutor’s office indicated that witness testimony and ballistic evidence will be central to the remaining proceedings.
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
