18-year-old takes plea deal in Des Moines slaying

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - An 18-year-old man has been given 50 years in prison for a Des Moines slaying.

The Des Moines Register reports (https://dmreg.co/2m5DPbK ) that Josue Socop-Avalos pleaded guilty Wednesday to second-degree murder after making a deal with prosecutors, who lowered the charge from first-degree murder. Prosecutors say Socop-Avalos fatally shot 28-year-old Jose Lopez with a shotgun on Nov. 6, 2015, north of downtown Des Moines.

Socop-Avalos said Wednesday that he was sorry for the loss of Lopez and said, “I wish I could take everything back.”

Socop-Avalos was 17 at the time of the shooting but was being prosecuted as an adult.

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Information from: The Des Moines Register, https://www.desmoinesregister.com