LANTANA, Fla. (CBS12) — Benjamin Coreas, one of three individuals involved in the death of a teenager during a fight in Lake Worth over two years ago, returned to Palm Beach County courtroom Wednesday to learn his fate.
Last month, Coreas, 22, pleaded guilty to manslaughter with a firearm and being a delinquent in possession of a firearm, according to court records. Originally charged with second-degree murder, the charge was reduced by prosecutors before his plea hearing.
On Wednesday, a Palm Beach County judge sentenced Coreas to 15 years in prison for his role in the death of Brian Guevara, who was fatally shot during a fight on January 16, 2022. Coreas, along with two other men, was convicted in the shooting, which authorities say involved friendly fire.
The two other suspects, Javier Benitez and Oliver Campos, have been convicted of giving false information to police and being accessories after the fact to second-degree murder. Both men are scheduled to be sentenced later this month.
The shooting took place at the Lantana Cascades Mobile Home Park on West Cat Cay Road. According to the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office (PBSO), deputies responded to a report of a fight between several individuals, some possibly armed with machetes. As deputies arrived, they learned that shots had been fired.
Guevara, who was shot in the back, arrived at JFK Medical Center in South Congress Avenue where he later died from his injuries. Investigators indicated that those who dropped Guevara off at the hospital might have taken Coreas to his home first, complicating the investigation.
Coreas will now serve his sentence as part of the legal proceedings following the tragic death.