Teen pleads guilty in shootings

A 14-year-old boy, who admitted he fired shots during a retaliation-motivated attack that left two men dead, has pleaded guilty to assault with a deadly weapon.

Despite his age, Matthew Cumplido faces the possibility of up to six years in prison for his role in the Feb. 20 incident that left 17-year-old Elroy Numez and Carlos Lopez dead.

Both were blasted with a shotgun, but Cumplido only admitted firing a .25-caliber pistol, according to defense attorney Steve Wolfson, who said there is no proof those shots hit either victim.

Sentencing is set for August.

Prosecutors believe that his father, Gustavo Cumplido, 36, was the one who wielded the shotgun during the deadly encounter near Pecos and Bonanza roads.

The father and Christian Angulo, 19, the purported driver of the truck carrying the other defendants, are scheduled to stand trial on murder charges June 7 in District Judge Sally Loehrer's courtroom.

Murder charges already were dropped against two teenagers who admitted being in the Cumplido family truck but were not shown to have been involved in the slayings.

Investigators say the shooting incident was in retaliation for repeated vandalism, a car theft and drive-by shootings at the home of the Cumplido family near Pecos Road and Stewart Avenue.

Testimony at a preliminary hearing indicated that after an incident involving a shot fired from a truck outside the Cumplido home, the five defendants pursued the vehicle.

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