In the late winter of 2022, the life of 38-year-old Julio Enrique DeLima Morales was cut short in a burst of gunfire on a street in Nashville, Tennessee. On the evening of February 23rd, DeLima Morales was inside his Nissan Altima in the 3300 block of Ezell Road when another vehicle approached. A passenger in that car opened fire, fatally wounding him.
The violent encounter left more questions than answers in its immediate aftermath as police began their investigation into the brazen shooting.
For nearly two years, detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department's Homicide Unit meticulously pieced together the events of that tragic day. Their investigation eventually pointed to a dispute over a woman as the catalyst for the deadly shooting. This breakthrough led them to two young men: Hugo Rosales-Aguilar and Josue Flores-Mercado. In December 2023, after a lengthy and thorough investigation, both men were indicted on charges of first-degree murder for their alleged roles in the death of Julio Enrique DeLima Morales.
Following the indictment, law enforcement moved swiftly to bring the suspects into custody. Rosales-Aguilar, identified as the alleged shooter, was apprehended by Specialized Investigations Division detectives at an apartment complex on Packard Drive. His co-defendant, Flores-Mercado, was already incarcerated on an unrelated robbery charge at the time the murder indictment was handed down. Both men are now facing the serious charge of first-degree murder, and their cases are proceeding through the Davidson County court system. The legal process is ongoing, with future court dates scheduled to determine the final outcome of the accusations against them.
