A Whitfield County grand jury has indicted a teen male from Rome for an August shooting that left four people dead at Pleasant Grove Park.
Juan “Diego” Cruz-Duque was indicted for 12 counts of felony murder, armed robbery, criminal attempt to commit armed robbery, possession of a schedule 1 controlled substance with intent to distribute and two counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
He is charged in the deaths of David Antonio Delgadillo, 21, of Dalton; Joshua Pedro Pelico-Pelico, 19, of Dalton; Daniel Segura-Cruz, 17, of Rome; and Robert Alexis Valencia, 18, of Rome.
He faces three counts of felony murder, which is causing the death of someone while committing a felony, for each death. The felonies cited are armed robbery, possession of a schedule 1 controlled substance with intent to distribute and criminal attempt to commit armed robbery.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in Whitfield County Superior Court in early December before Judge Bert Poston. According to the district attorney, he is represented by Rex Abernathy and Jerry Moncus.
In a press conference the day after the shooting, Whitfield County Sheriff Scott Chitwood said deputies were sent to Pleasant Grove Park, which is off Cleveland Highway at 1800 Pleasant Grove Drive north of Dalton, at about 11:14 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, after reports of shots fired and found the four bodies.
The indictment said Cruz-Duque drove from Floyd County to Whitfield County with Sequra-Cruz and Valencia for a “drug transaction” with Pelico-Pelico and Delgadillo. It said Cruz-Duque fired a firearm at Pelico-Pelico and Delgadillo to “obtain” vape pens and money.
Chitwood had said investigators knew multiple weapons were involved because there were multiple types of shell casings at the scene. He said “contraband” was found in a vehicle.
In a later press release, Chitwood said evidence “suggests” both parties had firearms.
“As a result of this encounter between the two parties, gunshots were exchanged between the subjects,” Chitwood said.