Lexington teenager shot, killed another teen in a robbery plot, investigator alleges
The death of 19-year-old Miguel Diaz was the result of a robbery plot that lured him to his accused killer’s home for a marijuana sale, according to an investigator who testified in court Tuesday.
Kaleb Henry, 19, was charged with murder after Diaz was shot and killed July 27 at a Speigle Street residence near Lexington’s Distillery District.
Henry worked with others, including 20-year-old Isaac Suastequi, to devise a plan to invite Diaz to the residence for a marijuana transaction, Lexington police Detective Phillip Johnson said in his testimony Tuesday. They planned to rob Diaz at gunpoint when he arrived, Johnson said.
A male who called 911 after the shooting said he was a friend of Diaz was with Diaz during the shooting. Diaz, the caller and a minor were invited to the home and were not aware that Henry would be there, Johnson said.
When they showed up, they encountered several people with guns, and Henry “abruptly appeared from behind the doorway,” Johnson said. He “immediately shot” Diaz in the head, and then shot at the friend and a minor with Diaz, Johnson said.
The friend fled the scene in a vehicle with the minor and was again shot at as he left, Johnson said. Police said that they found a car that had been shot during the altercation. They also found bullet holes in the walls of the residence and shell casings.
Johnson said Suastequi, who was charged with complicity to murder in connection with the shooting, admitted to contacting Diaz and his friends to invite them to the residence. He also admitted that the group at the residence had devised a plan to rob Diaz, Johnson said.
Suastequi was also charged with two counts of robbery, evidence tampering and marijuana trafficking, according to court records. He was arrested on July 30, police said.
In addition to murder, Henry faces charges of robbery and wanton endangerment, according to court records. He was arrested on Aug. 7, police said. There were others involved in the shooting who have not yet been identified or charged, Johnson said.
Following Johnson’s testimony, Judge Lindsay Thurston found probable cause and sent the case against Henry to a grand jury, which will review the charges and determine if the case moves forward in the courts.
Thurston denied Henry’s request to lower his $515,000 bond. Thurston said Henry was a threat to the public and cited other criminal charges in separate cases, which included fleeing police, wanton endangerment, and marijuana trafficking. He is scheduled to appear in court for one of those cases Wednesday.
“I find that you’re a danger to this community, and you are a flight risk,” Thurston told Henry during the hearing.
This story was originally published September 1, 2020 at 12:56 PM.