Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Although the bulk of his hearing was conducted through translation, Hugo Brito Delgado spoke the word "guilty" in English Friday afternoon in Kosciusko Superior Court.
Delgado, 31, was the trigger man in a May 7 shooting at the Keg Tavern in Leesburg. A co-owner of the establishment, Ortie Manns of Milford, was shot three times - twice in the chest and once in the hip - during a confrontation outside the bar.
Delgado and three co-defendants have been held in the Kosciusko County Jail since their arrest shortly after the incident. Originally charged with attempted murder, a Class A felony punishable by up to 50 years in prison, Delgado pleaded guilty to attempted voluntary manslaughter, a Class B felony. A translator relayed the judge's explanations of the charges and conditions of the plea agreement to Delgado in Spanish.
When asked whether Delgado was forced by anyone to enter a plea of guilty, the translator, Kenneth Kelley, said after talking with Delgado, "No, he says it's his decision."
If the plea agreement is accepted by Judge Robert Burner, Delgado will be sentenced to 10 years in prison, with two years suspended for probation, and ordered to pay a $300 fine, restitution and court costs.
Sentencing will take place in November.
Adan Cervantes, 33; Hugo Brito, 20; and Marcelo Brito, 27, are awaiting trial for their roles in the offense. All are charged with aiding, inducing or causing an attempted murder, a Class A felony.
According to court documents, Delgado went to Cervantes' residence after the four had gotten into a fight over a pool game in the bar. From there, a .380-caliber semi-automatic handgun was retrieved and the suspects returned to the Keg.
Delgado admitted a few days after the shooting that he fired the gun at Manns as he was shutting the door to the business. Manns had told the men to leave after the fight and the four reportedly returned about 30 minutes later. The shooting occurred when Manns went to the door and told Delgado that he and the other men were not welcome there.
