Crime
Jeremiah Quinones Accused of Fatally Shooting Lequan Cherry Inside Virginia Beach Smoke Shop
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — A preliminary hearing was held Thursday morning for 22-year-old Jeremiah Quinones of Norfolk, who is facing multiple felony charges in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred inside a Virginia Beach smoke shop earlier this year.
Quinones is accused of shooting and killing 26-year-old Lequan Cherry, also of Norfolk, during an incident at the Happy Smoke Super Gift Shop on Virginia Beach Boulevard.
The shooting reportedly stemmed from a verbal altercation, according to Virginia Beach police.
During Thursday’s court proceedings, the Commonwealth called multiple witnesses, including Cherry’s girlfriend, who provided key testimony.
She told the court that Cherry had picked her up from work earlier that day, with their 7-year-old son riding in the back seat.
She said Cherry planned to make a quick stop at the store before heading home.
According to her testimony, Cherry entered the shop first, followed shortly by Quinones.
Moments later, she said she heard gunshots and saw Quinones fleeing the store.
She rushed inside and discovered Cherry on the ground, gravely wounded but still alive at that time.
She testified that Quinones returned to the store twice following the shooting, though the reasons for his return were not specified in court.
The lead homicide investigator also took the stand, confirming that surveillance footage from the store captured the sequence of events as they unfolded.
The detective testified that Cherry had died by the time officers arrived on the scene.
Under cross-examination, defense attorneys emphasized that Cherry’s girlfriend did not personally know Quinones. However, she stated she recognized him from photos she had seen on social media.
Quinones was arrested on the day of the shooting following a vehicle pursuit.
He is currently charged with first-degree murder, malicious wounding, and two counts of use of a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Family members of the victim were present in the courtroom but declined to speak publicly.
The case is expected to be presented to a grand jury, which could convene as early as June.
Crime
Venezuelan national Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis shot in the leg by an immigration agent in Minneapolis
On January 14, 2025, federal law enforcement personnel were engaged in a targeted enforcement operation involving Julio Cesar Sosa-Celis, a Venezuelan national who has been present in the United States since 2022.
The operation escalated into a high-speed pursuit, a physical confrontation, and an ambush by multiple subjects, necessitating the use of a defensive firearm discharge by a federal agent.
At approximately 6:50 PM, federal officers initiated a targeted traffic stop of a vehicle operated by Sosa-Celis.
The subject refused to comply with law enforcement commands and attempted to flee the scene.
During the pursuit, the subject’s vehicle collided with a stationary, parked car.
Following the collision, the subject abandoned the vehicle and fled the scene on foot.
A federal agent pursued the suspect on foot and successfully intercepted him. As the agent attempted to effect an arrest, the subject became combative, resulting in a violent struggle on the ground.
During this confrontation, two additional male subjects emerged from a nearby residence to intervene.
These individuals reportedly ambushed the agent, utilizing a snow shovel and a broom handle to strike the officer.
The situation escalated when the primary suspect, Sosa-Celis, regained his footing and joined the two additional subjects in the assault.
Reports indicate the suspect struck the agent with a blunt object (identified as either the shovel or broom handle).
Citing an immediate threat to his life while being outnumbered and actively assaulted by three individuals, the agent discharged his service weapon in self-defense.
The discharge struck Sosa-Celis in the lower extremity (leg). Following the shot, all three suspects retreated into a nearby apartment complex and initiated a barricade situation.
Following a brief standoff, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) successfully secured the perimeter and apprehended all three individuals without further injury.
Both the federal agent and Sosa-Celis were transported to a local medical facility for treatment.
Images from the scene showed Sosa-Celis conscious and alert during transport.
All three subjects involved in the assault are currently in the custody of ICE.
Further charges related to the assault on a federal officer and resisting arrest are pending review by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.