Teen shot, found dead inside flipped vehicle near Lexington Cemetery. Name released.
A teenager in Lexington was found dead with a gunshot wound inside a flipped vehicle on Price Road Thursday night, according to Lexington police.
Sergio Villarados, 17, died from a gunshot wound at 9:24 p.m. Thursday, according to the Fayette County coroner. His death was a homicide, the 31st killing in Lexington this year.
Villarados was a sophomore at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Lexington, a Fayette County Public Schools spokeswoman confirmed Friday night.
At 8:51 p.m., police received the first call reporting a single-vehicle car crash on Price Road and Fairdale Drive, which is adjacent to the Suburban Mobile Home Park and the Lexington Cemetery, according to Lt. Chris Van Brackel. Upon arrival, officers found Villarados and a 19-year-old female inside the flipped vehicle.
The female, whose identity has not yet been released, suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was transported to the hospital.
Police said they believe the incident began on Breathitt Avenue, which is close to the crash site.
Police are still investigating.
In a letter to families Friday, Dunbar High School Principal Betsy Rains said, “Sergio was an important member of our Dunbar family and we are grief-stricken by the loss of a classmate, student and friend.”
She said school staff notified students of the death Friday and brought in a group of grief counselors to work with students.
“A sudden and violent death like Sergio’s brings many feelings to the surface and we want to assure you that we are here to support all of our students, regardless of why they are hurting,” Rains wrote in the letter.
Herald-Leader staff writer Karla Ward contributed to this report.
This story was originally published October 29, 2021 at 7:31 AM.
