A Franklin County judge today handed a Columbus man a prison term of 17 to 22.5 years for a deadly shooting tied to a love triangle that left 31-year-old Erik Alcauter-Huitron dead in May 2025.
In Franklin County Common Pleas Court, Francisco Vallejo-Arevalo pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and tampering with evidence. Judge Karen Phipps accepted the plea and imposed the 17 to 22.5 year sentence, closing a case that prosecutors had initially pursued as an aggravated murder investigation, according to the Columbus Dispatch.
How Police Say the Shooting Unfolded
Columbus police say the shooting happened on May 17, 2025, in the 3000 block of Kane Drive. Alcauter-Huitron was taken by medics to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead.
Detectives quickly identified Vallejo-Arevalo as a suspect and obtained a warrant for his arrest. Investigators said he fled the scene after the shooting. The U.S. Marshals Service tracked him down and arrested him in Preble County a few days later, as detailed in a Columbus Division of Police news release.
Motive and Investigation
According to police, friends and family told detectives that Vallejo-Arevalo and Alcauter-Huitron "were competing for the affections of the same woman," a detail included in the department's written release. Prosecutors said resolving the case with a plea deal avoided a trial and left only sentencing to wrap up a yearlong investigation into the killing.
Sentence and What Comes Next
With the sentence imposed, Vallejo-Arevalo will be taken into state custody to begin serving his prison term. Court records are expected to document the plea and any future motions that might be filed in the case.
Love Triangle Shooting Arrest first reported on Vallejo-Arevalo's capture last year, and the Columbus Dispatch covered today's plea and sentencing in court.
