OGDEN — A jury opted to convict Ruben Alvarado Nava III of a lesser charge of manslaughter Thursday rather than murder in the 2013 gang-related shooting death of a man at a party.
After five hours of deliberations, the jury found Nava guilty of manslaughter early Thursday. Nava, 42, was also found guilty of possession of a firearm by a restricted person, a third degree felony.
The jury found Nava not guilty of discharge of a firearm, a third-degree felony.
Police said Nava, of Ogden, was at a house party in Roy, 4635 S. 2950 West, on Sept. 8, 2013, when he got into an argument with Mario Francisco Saucedo, 23. During the argument Nava shot Saucedo in the chest, fatally wounding him.
Nava was originally charged with murder, a first-degree felony, and four third-degree felonies: three counts of felony discharge of a firearm, and use of a firearm by a restricted person. Two of those charges were later dismissed.
At the time of the shooting, gang detectives identified Nava as a member of the El Monte Florez SUR 13 gang and Saucedo as part of the Ogden Trece gang.
Sentencing has been scheduled for Aug. 4.
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