MIDLAND, Texas — Midland County District Attorney Laura Nodolf has told NewsWest 9 that 20-year-old Midlander Nikolas Ty Moreno was sentenced by a jury Monday to 67 years in prison.
Moreno was found guilty of murder, tampering with evidence and theft of a firearm. Friday afternoon, the jury found Moreno guilty on all three counts after about three hours of deliberation.
The jury assessed punishment at 60 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for murder, five years for tampering with evidence and two years for theft of a firearm.
NewsWest 9 reported that Moreno was charged back in 2021 for the murder of Midland teen Joshua Salcido.
According to a media release, the evidence presented in the case showed that on July 31, 2021 Moreno and a co-defendant, not named in this case, went to an associate’s house to buy narcotics. Nodolf said in the release that both were armed.
At the house, Moreno exchanged LSD for marijuana with 15-year-old Salcido. After the exchange, Moreno, Salcido and the co-defendant left to meet "the associates" at Al’s Grocery to try and buy alcohol.
Moreno, Salcido and the co-defendant never went to Al’s Grocery and instead went to Parkway Dr. off Lamesa Rd.
According to the release, there was a "struggle" in the vehicle between Salcido and the defendants. The vehicle sped out of control and got stuck. Moreno then pulled out a gun and shot Salcido in the left side and the back three times.
Salcido was able to escape the vehicle, attempted to crawl away, only to be shot in the back again.
Moreno fled to his grandmother’s house to hide the two firearms used. According to the release, both firearms were stolen in early 2021.
The co-defendant fled to their aunt’s house. The aunt proceeded to call the police. The co-defendant left the house and then sent officers on a car chase for over an hour.
Moreno eventually arrived, also leading officers to the scene. Moreno denied all wrongdoing to the police, but according to forensic and ballistic evidence, it proved that Moreno was the shooter and the shooting was not self-defense.
While Moreno was arrested, evidence showed that in October of 2020, Moreno was arrested for burglary of a habitation where firearms were stolen.
Evidence also showed that after Moreno was released on bond in August of 2021 for the murder, he was arrested five times for felony offenses: evading in a motor vehicle, tampering with evidence, possession of a dangerous drug believed to be fentanyl and three incidences of possessing fentanyl.
As of Monday, Moreno will be behind bars for 67 years for murder, tampering with evidence and theft of a firearm.