Jury selection to begin Monday for man charged in shooting death south of Albert Lea
Published 10:51 am Friday, March 1, 2024
- Ben Moreno
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Jury selection is slated to begin Monday in the trial for the Albert Lea man charged with shooting and killing another man south of Albert Lea in August 2022.
Ben Vidal Moreno, 33, faces two counts of second-degree murder, one count of attempted second-degree murder and two counts of ineligible possession of a firearm in the death of Juan Vasquez Jr.
Court documents state Vasquez died from a single gunshot wound to the chest on Aug. 9, 2022, outside of a residence at 75463 160th St.
According to authorities, there had been a dispute between Moreno and Vasquez over a package of methamphetamine that Moreno reportedly diverted from Vasquez.
After the reported shooting, Moreno reportedly fled the scene with two others and was ultimately arrested at a house in rural Forest City, Iowa, on Aug. 11, 2022.
Moreno’s lawyer has provided notice they intend to raise the issue of self-defense.