CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte man was sentenced to up to six years in prison Thursday after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter charges.
Dalton Neel, 28, appeared before a judge at Mecklenburg County Courthouse Thursday morning, where his lawyer entered a guilty plea for the 2021 shooting death of 17-year-old Moises Hernandez.
In Nov. of 2021, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officers were called to McAlpine Glen Drive, off Lawyers Road in east Charlotte, around 5:20 a.m. after reports of larceny. When officers got to the area, they found Hernandez, who had been shot.
Hernandez was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Police identified Neel as a person of interest. After an interview with detectives, Neel was arrested and charged with voluntary manslaughter.
In court Thursday, the prosecutor said that Neel shot Hernandez after Hernandez and his friends allegedly tried breaking into Neel's truck. The prosecution said that Neel initially lied to the police and attempted to discard evidence.
Hernandez's parents offered forgiveness to Neel during the court appearance The mother also said that her son should have been more careful about who he had as friends.
Neel was overcome with emotion when Hernandez's parents spoke about losing their son. He then spoke directly to the Hernandez family, offering tearful apologies and thanking them for their forgiveness.
After the judge handed down the sentence, Neel was handcuffed and taken away while Neel's mother hugged Hernandez's mother in an emotional moment.
WCNC Charlotte spoke with the parents of Moises Hernandez after an emotional hearing in court.
Abraham, Hernandez's father, said forgiveness is hard but its what they must do.
"I can tell the families affected to also forgive. You can forgive even those who do harm to you because that's what God asks us to do. To love each other. Even though they don't have the right to take someone's life like he took my son's life, but...we know he is remorseful. We were able to see that."
Neel received a split sentence of 51-to-75 months with 18 months in prison and 18 months of probation. The sentencing was effective immediately.