Two men have been convicted for their roles in the fatal shooting of a Franklin Heights High School student who was shot while riding in another car on a highway.
Levi Santiago, who was 14 years old at the time of the August 13, 2020 incident, was riding in a car with 21-year-old Eulises Marquez. The pair was heading south about 10:35 p.m. on Interstate 270 at Hall Road in the city’s west end. Side when someone fired shots at another vehicle.
Domingos Rodríguez, 16, and a 17-year-old boy were in that other vehicle. Rodriguez, who attended Franklin Heights High School, died weeks later on September 4, 2020, from his injuries.
The 17-year-old recovered.
Márquez and Santiago had ties to the “Spanish Cobras” gang, according to court records. Márquez identified himself as “Diablo” in documents analyzed in the investigation.
Rodriguez and the 17-year-old met twice with Marquez and “Santi,” believed to be Santiago, on the day of the shooting over a drug deal, court records say. During the second transaction, just before the shooting, Rodriguez told the 17-year-old that “Santi” had a gun and that they should leave, records show.
The vehicle with Rodriguez and the other teenager tried to divert Marquez and Santiago’s vehicle, leading to a chase on the highway.
The other teen told police that Rodriguez had “an argument” with someone in Marquez and Santiago’s vehicle, according to court records. The surviving teen told detectives that five to six shots were fired into his vehicle, hitting Rodriguez and him.
In a separate case, Márquez pleaded guilty to intimidating a witness. That charge was filed, according to court records, after a letter was found, signed by “Diablo,” discussing efforts to ensure that a witness to the shooting would not be able to testify if the case went to trial.
According to court records, Marquez also pleaded guilty to manslaughter and felonious assault. Santiago entered an Alford plea to manslaughter and felonious assault. An Alford plea is not an admission of guilt, but it recognizes that there is enough evidence for a jury to convict.
Charges of aggravated murder, manslaughter and attempted murder were dropped as part of Márquez and Santiago’s plea agreements.
Judge Jaiza Page sentenced Márquez to a sentence of at least 14 and no more than 19 years in prison in both cases.
Santiago, who turned 18 in March, was sentenced to seven to 10 years in prison.
bbruner@gannett.com
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: Two convicted of the death of teenager I-270 linked to the Spanish gang Cobra
