Charlotte defendant pleads guilty in 2021 Independence Boulevard killing, receiving 12-to-15½-year active prison sentence
Guilty plea resolves 2021 shooting case without a trial
A Charlotte man has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in connection with a fatal 2021 shooting on East Independence Boulevard, bringing the case to a close through a negotiated resolution in Mecklenburg County Superior Court.
Azbel Cruz Castro, 29, admitted responsibility for the death of Emmanuel Gebru, 31, in a plea entered on Feb. 18, 2026. The court imposed an active sentence ranging from 12 years to 15 years and six months in state prison.
What the court ordered
As part of the judgment, the court credited Cruz Castro with approximately four and a half years of jail time already served while the case was pending. The court also ordered restitution totaling $8,777.50.
Second-degree murder in North Carolina generally applies to an unlawful killing with malice but without premeditation and deliberation. In practice, plea agreements can narrow the issues for court resolution and set a sentencing range that avoids the uncertainties of a jury trial.
Defendant: Azbel Cruz Castro, 29
Victim: Emmanuel Gebru, 31
Plea: Second-degree murder
Sentence: 12 years to 15 years and six months (active)
Credit: About 4.5 years for time already served
Restitution: $8,777.50
The shooting on East Independence Boulevard
The case stems from events in the early morning hours of June 27, 2021. Police were called at about 2:20 a.m. to the 5300 block of East Independence Boulevard, where officers found Gebru suffering from a gunshot wound. He was taken to a hospital, where he later died.
Investigators identified Cruz Castro as a suspect during the investigation, and authorities obtained a warrant that led to his arrest. The prosecution then moved through the court system for years before the guilty plea resolved the matter.
How plea resolutions fit into homicide case backlogs
Mecklenburg County courts regularly schedule dedicated sessions to handle serious felony cases, including homicides, as prosecutors and defense attorneys weigh trial risks, evidentiary disputes, and sentencing exposure. In cases that reach a negotiated plea, the result is typically a defined conviction offense and a court-imposed sentence range, rather than a verdict after trial.
The plea concluded the case without a jury trial, establishing a prison term while accounting for time already spent in custody.
Cruz Castro will serve the balance of the active term under North Carolina’s post-release supervision rules as determined by the state’s sentencing structure and correctional authorities.