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High school senior Danyelisse Pabon-Cubero, 17, was killed by a stray bullet during a shooting outside her home last spring
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- Michael Garcia was sentenced to 25 years to life for killing 17-year-old Danyelisse Pabon-Cubero with a stray bullet
- Prosecutors said the shooting stemmed from a dispute involving baby formula, and it left another man with life-altering injuries
- Danyelisse’s family remembered her as ambitious and driven, with dreams of becoming a firefighter and a passion for sports and dance
A man has been sentenced for killing 17-year-old East High School senior Danyelisse Pabon-Cubero with a stray bullet while attempting to shoot another man.
On April 30, 2025, Michael Garcia, then 18, opened fire on Michael Springs, then 36, during a confrontation outside a home on Alphonse Street in Rochester, N.Y., prosecutors said. Danyelisse, who was inside the residence and was not an intended target, was struck in the head and fatally wounded.
Garcia then fled the scene but was soon apprehended by police in Brockport, about 20 miles west of Rochester.
“Danyelisse Pabon-Cubero was only 17 years old when she was killed by gunfire intended for someone else. She never had the opportunity to graduate, build a career, or experience the future that was stolen from her,” said Assistant District Attorney Kenisha Flowers in a press release from the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. “The defendant’s willingness to fire multiple rounds into a home forever shattered countless lives and left another victim with life-altering injuries.”
Assistant District Attorney Kenisha Flowers told 13WHAM ABC that the deadly confrontation stemmed from a dispute involving "baby formula with [Garcia's] best friend's baby mom."
In a GoFundMe for Danyelisse, her family stated that the 17-year-old student was “full of life, energy, and dreams.” She had wanted to become a firefighter and was set to start training soon.
“She played every sport she could, and was a vibrant part of every dance and step team she joined. She was ambitious, loyal, and truly one of a kind,” the GoFundMe stated.
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“I’m just glad justice was served, at the end of the day,” Dasia Johnson, Danyelisse’s dance coach, told 13WHAM ABC. “I’m glad this family can have peace, although it’s going to be a long route from now. Just glad the system did something right today.”
Read the original article on People
