On the night of August 2, 2017, the sound of gunshots pierced the air near the intersection of Lincolnway and Frederickson in South Bend, Indiana. Responding police officers were directed to a house on Frederickson Street where they discovered a grim scene in the garage. Inside, 29-year-old Damon Bethel lay dead from gunshot wounds. Another man, Joshua Sage, was found wounded and transported to the hospital.
The violence had spilled out from the garage.
An SUV that fled the scene, carrying two other gunshot victims, crashed into a home several blocks away. The driver, Anton James, was pronounced dead at the scene, and his passenger, Alyssa Sanchez, was hospitalized with a gunshot wound to the head. Investigators at the Frederickson Street home uncovered several guns and two pounds of methamphetamine, pointing to a drug-related motive for the shootout.
The subsequent investigation, aided by video surveillance at the residence, revealed a drug deal gone wrong. It was alleged that Jesus Pedraza had arranged to purchase a large quantity of meth for $10,000, a sum he reportedly did not possess. According to one witness, Damon Bethel entered the garage with a gun, demanding the drugs, and began shooting before any transaction could occur. In the ensuing chaos, Bethel and Sage shot each other.
Six individuals were ultimately charged in connection with the deadly incident. Benito Pedraza was found guilty of two counts of murder for the deaths of Damon Bethel and Anton James and was sentenced to 60 years in prison, with the sentences to be served concurrently. Jesus Pedraza was also found guilty of two counts of murder and received a concurrent 60-year sentence for each count. Another man, Jermon Gavin, faced multiple charges including two counts of murder and attempted robbery. Ronald Snyder Jr., who owned the home and allowed drug deals to take place there, pleaded guilty to dealing in methamphetamine.
