Man sentenced to prison for 2001 drive-by shooting

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SALT LAKE CITY — Charged with the crime just two years ago, a man has been sentenced to prison for a fatal 2001 drive-by shooting.

Vincent James Thomas, 34, entered an Alford plea to a reduced charge of manslaughter on Thursday, not admitting to the crime but acknowledging he would likely be found guilty at trial. He was sentenced the same day to one to 15 years in prison.

Thomas and one other man, Raymond Daniel Benally, 31, were with murder, a first-degree felony, in February 2013. A third man, Jeffry Henry Suarez, was charged with murder in December 2014. The trio was implicated in the Sept. 28, 2001, shooting death of Leonel Perales.

Perales died at LDS Hospital from a gunshot wound to the chest.

Witnesses told police that a gray Chevy Celebrity was following a Honda Accord near 300 East and 700 South on that night. At 700 East and 700 South, someone in the Honda fired several shots at the Chevy. Homicide detectives later found six shell casings in the road and discovered that two bullets had been shot into the rear of the Honda and went through the back seat.

Benally was later identified as the driver of the Chevy, and Thomas was the passenger in the front seat. Both Thomas and Suarez are believed to have fired shots that night, according to court documents.

Investigators also discovered that several shots were fired at a BMW prior to the Honda shooting.

Benally pleaded guilty in February 2014 to an amended charge of manslaughter, a second-degree felony. He received a suspended prison sentence and was placed on probation. He died in a traffic accident in August.

The status of Suarez's case was unavailable Monday.