Two Las Vegas teenagers pleaded guilty Thursday in Clark County District Court to charges stemming from a July drive-by shooting that left two men dead outside an east valley house party. Noah Sierra and Jesus Martin-Guerrero, who were both 16 at the time of the shooting, admitted to two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder each. Prosecutors say the pleas carry potential prison terms of 30 years to life, with sentencing set for April, and families of the victims are pushing the court to hand down the maximum penalties.
According to 8 News Now, court filings indicate that the teens are not eligible for a mandatory 20-year parole hearing that some juvenile offenders can seek under Nevada law, which means each faces a long stint in the Nevada Department of Corrections. Prosecutors say the plea agreements were structured to avoid putting witnesses through a full trial. Defense attorneys for Sierra and Martin-Guerrero did not immediately offer public comment after the hearing.
Per the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department, the shooting unfolded on July 13, 2024, at a party that had been promoted on social media in the 3000 block of Kaibab Avenue near East Owens Avenue and North Mojave Road. Two men, 18-year-old Erick Roque and 20-year-old Efrian Guevara, were killed, and another person was wounded. Investigators arrested the two teens a few days later after matching video and other evidence to the suspects.
8 News Now reports that detectives say surveillance footage showed Sierra driving a stolen white sedan while Martin-Guerrero fired from the passenger seat. Investigators told reporters that Martin-Guerrero unleashed 13 rounds into the crowd and that a mix of camera footage and cellphone data helped trace the pair's movements before and after the shooting. Prosecutors also pointed to social-media posts from the suspects as part of the case.
Parole Rules And Juvenile Sentencing
Nevada's approach to sentencing juvenile offenders has shifted over the past decade, and those changes help frame what the teens now face. Assembly Bill 267, passed in 2015, created retroactive parole eligibility for people sentenced as juveniles once they have served 20 years. Earlier legislation, including AB 474 in 2009, revised parole eligibility rules for certain offenders. As outlined by the Nevada Appeal and records from the Nevada Legislature, those statutory changes, along with subsequent court rulings on juvenile life sentences, have narrowed but not completely eliminated parole options in homicide cases involving minors.
What's Next
Sierra and Martin-Guerrero are scheduled to return to Clark County District Court in April for sentencing, where a judge will decide their final terms. Families of the victims and their attorneys have publicly opposed any deal that would significantly cut prison time, while prosecutors argue that the guilty pleas lock in lengthy sentences and spare witnesses the strain of testifying at trial. Court filings submitted ahead of the hearing are expected to detail the specific sentencing recommendations and any timelines for possible parole review that might apply.
