In a Nashville church parking lot, a young life was tragically cut short on the afternoon of Friday, November 25, 2022. Antonio Rudolfo, a 19-year-old male, was fatally shot in what has been described as an altercation. The incident occurred at approximately 4:15 p.m. in the parking lot of the Vida Nueva Seventh-day Adventist Church in the 200 block of Gatewood Avenue. The church was closed at the time.
Antonio, a recent graduate of Hunters Lane High School with plans to attend barber college, was known by loved ones as a funny young man with a heart of gold who was a strong protector of his family.
Investigations by the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit revealed that Antonio had driven to the church parking lot and was in his car, accompanied by his girlfriend. A second vehicle arrived shortly after, and a male passenger, later identified as Joe De Leon, 21, got out and spoke with Antonio for several minutes. This conversation escalated into an altercation, during which shots were fired, and Antonio was fatally wounded. He died at the scene. His girlfriend, who witnessed the tragic event, was not physically harmed. The motive for the shooting remains under investigation.
Following an investigation led by Detective Myriah Iles, an arrest warrant for criminal homicide was issued for Joe De Leon on December 9, 2022. The search for De Leon continued until May 23, 2023, when he was located and arrested. At the time of his arrest, De Leon, then 22, was found in a stolen Lexus GS300 that had been taken in a recent carjacking where the victim was also shot. He initially attempted to flee on foot and provided officers with a false name and birth date. A loaded pistol and drugs were recovered from the vehicle. In addition to the criminal homicide charge for the death of Antonio Rudolfo, De Leon faced charges of vehicle theft, criminal impersonation, evidence tampering, evading arrest, resisting arrest, and possession of drugs and drug paraphernalia. He was held on a $525,000 bond.
