On the evening of Friday, October 22, 2021, a fatal shooting occurred in Nashville, Tennessee, claiming the life of 23-year-old Miguel 'Trey' Ontiveros III. The incident took place around 8:30 p.m. on Charlotte Avenue at 42nd Avenue North. Witnesses reported that Ontiveros was driving a Hyundai Sonata and appeared to be racing a pickup truck. Suddenly, someone from the pickup truck opened fire on his vehicle.
Ontiveros was struck by the gunfire, which caused him to wreck his car.
The pickup truck also crashed but was able to continue fleeing toward Interstate 40. The vehicle, a Nissan pickup, was later found abandoned on the shoulder of I-40 east near the I-440 junction. Both vehicles were taken to the Metro Nashville Police Department Crime Laboratory for processing. Initially, the event was considered a possible road rage incident.
However, an investigation led by Homicide Unit Detective Bobby Samuels revealed a different motive. The shooting was the result of a dispute over a female between Ontiveros and the suspect. On November 3, 2021, authorities located and arrested Ralph Nevels Jr., then 24 years old, at a motel in Mt. Juliet. He was charged with criminal homicide for the death of Ontiveros.
In February 2025, a Davidson County jury found Ralph Nevels Jr., then 27, guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. The trial, prosecuted by the Nashville District Attorney's office, included testimony from experts, witnesses, and the woman at the center of the dispute. It took the jury less than three hours to return the guilty verdict. Following the conviction, Nevels received an automatic life sentence. The victim's family expressed relief and gratitude for the work of the prosecutors and the District Attorney's office in securing justice for Miguel Ontiveros III.
