One of two men charged in the February shooting death of a Woodbridge man pleaded guilty in Prince William Circuit Court Thursday.
Jose Luis Salvador Jr., 20, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter for the death of 25-year-old David Enrique Melendez-Lopez.
According to court testimony Thursday, Salvador drove another man, Ricardo Balbuena, to Melendez-Lopez’s house in the 1300 block of Saxon Street in Woodbridge on Feb. 28.
While Salvador waited in the car, Balbuena shot and killed Melendez-Lopez, police said.
When Balbuena returned to the car, he told Salvador he had shot Melendez-Lopez, Prince William County Detective Todd Troutner said in court Thursday.
“[Salvador] said he heard a gunshot,” Troutner said.
The men then left the scene.
Troutner said that Balbuena did not know where Melendez-Lopez lived, so he asked Salvador and Salvador drove him there.
According to police, the three men were at a party the night before the shooting. Balbuena believed Melendez-Lopez had made “disparaging remarks” about him there, police said at the time.
Two men who were looking for work shoveling snow found Melendez-Lopez’s body on Feb. 28.
The men told police they saw someone lying on the ground when they approached the partially open door of his house.
Police checked Melendez-Lopez’s cell phone for recent calls, which led them to Salvador, Troutner said.
Police are still looking for Balbuena, who has been charged with murder, use of a firearm in commission of a felony and possession of a firearm by a felon for Melendez-Lopez’s death.
Staff writer Amanda Stewart can be reached at 703-878-8014.
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