On a summer evening in Buffalo, New York, the life of 26-year-old Angel Marcial was cut short in a targeted act of violence. On July 9, 2018, at approximately 6 p.m., Marcial was driving his vehicle northbound on the I-190 near the Niagara Street exit when another vehicle pulled alongside his. Shots were fired from the second vehicle into Marcial's, striking him. He was transported to Erie County Medical Center, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Investigators with the New York State Police quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of road rage, but that Marcial had likely been targeted.
The investigation into the fatal shooting led authorities to 22-year-old Juan A. Colon of Buffalo. Just days after the incident, Colon was arrested and charged with second-degree murder for his role in Angel Marcial's death. Following his arrest, Colon was held at the Erie County Holding Center as he awaited arraignment. The case against him proceeded through the legal system, and he was subsequently indicted by a grand jury.
In March 2019, a jury found Juan Colon guilty of Manslaughter in the First Degree for the death of Angel Marcial. While he was initially charged with murder, the jury convicted him on the lesser charge. The following month, Colon was sentenced for the crime. An Erie County Court Judge ordered him to serve a maximum of 25 years in prison for the fatal highway shooting. In April 2019, Colon was sentenced to 20 years in prison, to be followed by five years of post-release supervision.
