In the early morning hours of Thursday, March 19, 2026, a 911 call shattered the pre-dawn quiet of Des Moines, Iowa, reporting a shooting in the East Village. Responding officers arrived at a parking lot in the 1300 block of Des Moines Street to a grim discovery. There, they found 42-year-old William Lee St. Peter, Jr. deceased from an apparent gunshot wound.
The initial caller had ominously told dispatchers that the victim was "beyond any help," a fact quickly confirmed by the first responders at the scene. This tragic event marked the city's fifth homicide of the year.
The Des Moines Police Department immediately launched an investigation into the shooting. Utilizing surveillance footage from the area, investigators were able to identify a suspect vehicle. In a surprising turn of events, an officer spotted the vehicle parked outside the Des Moines police station just after 3 a.m., a little over an hour after the initial 911 call. Two individuals were detained at that time, and a handgun was recovered. The investigation pointed to a dispute over a "potential drug transaction" as the catalyst for the fatal encounter. It is believed that an altercation occurred during this dispute, which culminated in the shooting.
Following the investigation, police arrested 18-year-old Juan Carlos Hernandez-Sarceno and charged him with first-degree murder in connection with the death of William Lee St. Peter, Jr. Evidence indicates that Hernandez-Sarceno shot St. Peter in the head during their dispute. He is currently the only person charged in the incident, and police have stated that there is no ongoing danger to the public. Hernandez-Sarceno was booked into the Polk County Jail.
