In the quiet of a Virginia Beach evening on December 2, 2016, the life of Zacarias Aguilar-Ayala, a 34-year-old man, was tragically cut short in a senseless act of violence. Aguilar-Ayala was discovered inside his truck in the 1300 block of Hawk Avenue, having sustained multiple gunshot wounds. The call came into the Virginia Beach Police Department at approximately 7:41 p.m., and upon their arrival, he was pronounced deceased at the scene.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a
chilling narrative of a random shooting spree orchestrated by two teenagers, Angelo Antonio Worlds, 17, and Nicholas Isaiah Cates, 18. On that fatal day, Worlds was picked up by Cates from his job at a local Taco Bell. The pair drove to the Tapo Mobile Park, where, without provocation, Worlds exited the vehicle with a gun belonging to Cates and opened fire on Aguilar-Ayala, who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. According to testimony, Worlds later told police that he was high on Xanax, which made him feel angry, and that he shot Aguilar-Ayala because he was the only person on the street. Worlds referred to his victim as an 'innocent person.' After the shooting, Cates returned to his shift at Taco Bell.
This incident was part of a larger series of six shootings that terrorized the Virginia Beach area between November 29 and December 7, 2016, resulting in two deaths and several injuries. Both Worlds and Cates were eventually arrested and charged in connection with the crime spree. Despite their ages at the time of the offenses, they were tried as adults due to the gravity of their actions.
Angelo Antonio Worlds faced a litany of charges, including first-degree murder, and ultimately accepted a plea deal. He was sentenced to 125 years in prison, with 50 years suspended, leaving him with a 75-year term to serve. Nicholas Isaiah Cates, who was also implicated in another murder, pleaded guilty to first-degree murder, accessory after the fact to homicide, and use of a firearm. His plea resulted in a sentence of 100 years in prison, with 50 years suspended, for a total of 50 years of active time.
