Teen takes plea deal to avoid death penalty

Kim Smith

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2000 | 10:40 a.m.

A 19-year-old North Las Vegan scheduled to go to trial Wednesday in a freak shooting that left a 24-year-old mother dead took a deal to avoid the death penalty.

Under the deal, Miguel Cano will get 10 years to life on a second-degree murder charge relating to the March 18, 1999, death of Crystal Ledesma. He could get up to an additional 40 years for the attempted murder of Ismael Ramos Jr.

It will be up to District Judge Lee Gates to decide on Jan. 9 whether the sentences will run at the same time or concurrently.

Before accepting his plea, Gates asked Cano about his version of the shooting.

"My friends got in a fight and Ismael hit one of my friends so I shot at him," Cano said.

Chief Deputy District Attorney Ed Kane told Gates that on the day Ledesma died, two groups of teenagers were arguing at a McDonald's restaurant on Losee Road. One of the groups left, picked Cano up at his house and went back to the restaurant.

The fight started up again with Ramos being hit with a baseball bat, Kane said. Ramos ran inside the McDonald's, basically ending the fight.

However, Cano then stepped into the doorway and fired three shots at Ramos' back, over the shoulder of a friend.

One of the shots hit the floor and two others continued into the store, Kane said.

One of those shots flew through a drive-through window and hit Ledesma in the chest as she sat waiting for her order.

Ledesma's 5-year-old son and the friend who was driving their vehicle were not hurt, Kane said.

All of the dozen or so witnesses inside the restaurant identified Cano, who was 17 at the time, as the shooter, Kane said.

Had Cano not pleaded guilty, Kane said he was prepared to argue he deserved the death penalty in part because he placed so many others at risk of death.