Teen pleads guilty in death of another teen near Iowa school

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A teenager has pleaded guilty in the drive-by shooting death of another teen outside a Des Moines, Iowa, high school and has been sentenced to a life prison term with the possibility of parole. Romeo Perdomo pleaded guilty to first-degree murder in the March 7, 2022, death of 15-year-old Jose Lopez-Perez outside East High School. The Des Moines Register reports the 17-year-old Perdomo’s plea followed a deal in which prosecutors dismissed other charges and recommended he be sentenced to life with a possibility of parole. Adults convicted of first-degree murder in Iowa must spend the rest of their lives in prison but judges can give juveniles a chance at parole. Judge Lawrence McLellan gave Perdomo the life sentence with no requirement on the time he must serve.