Man pleads to manslaughter after mistrial on murder charge, is released for time served

An Albuquerque man pleaded no contest Friday to involuntary manslaughter in a 2021 shooting death, three months after a jury deadlocked in his trial on a murder charge.

Yonnis Abreu, 22, accepted the plea agreement in the fatal shooting of 29-year-old Dylon Spiess at a Central Avenue motel.

Abreu was tried in May on a charge of second-degree murder but a 2nd Judicial District Court jury hung 10-2 in favor of acquittal, his attorney, Maxwell Pines, said Friday.

State District Judge Lucy Solimon on Friday sentenced Abreu to 18 months in prison, which allowed for his immediate release for time served at the Metropolitan Detention Center.

Pines told the judge that Abreu plans to live with family members in Kentucky after his release.

Abreu was arrested in July 2021 in connection with with Spiess’ shooting death at the American Inn and Suites on East Central.

Albuquerque police found Spiess fatally shot on the second-floor walkway of the motel on March 23, 2021. Abreu was identified from security video that showed a male with “distinct tattoos” running from the area with a gun after the shooting.

A judge initially ordered him to remain behind bars pending trial but reconsidered the order about a year later, resulting in his release on a GPS ankle monitor.

In July 2022, authorities said Abreu cut off his ankle monitor and remained at large for about two months until he was rearrested during an unrelated sweep of abandoned buildings near Zuni and Pennsylvania SE, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan Court.

Officers recognized Abreu from Albuquerque Metro Crime Stoppers flyers, the complaint said.

The 2nd Judicial District Attorney’s Office at the time criticized the decision to release Abreu, saying an ankle monitor is “not the appropriate tool” to release a criminal defendant charged in a homicide.

Abreu has remained in custody at the county jail since his recapture in September 2022.