A third suspect in a fatal shooting at Auto Zone near Polaris has pleaded guilty

A third suspect in an attempted armed robbery of an Auto Zone parts store near Polaris Fashion Place that resulted in the fatal shooting of a customer who tried to intervene has pleaded guilty.

Anthony Blakely, 28, pleaded guilty Friday in Delaware County Common Pleas Court to murder, felonious assault and engaging in corrupt activity for a series of robberies, including the Aug. 24, 2023, robbery in which 43-year-old Alejandro Fajardo-Torres was fatally wounded.

Judge David Gormley ordered Blakely to serve life in prison without the possibility of parole for 33 years.

On the day of the shooting, Fajardo-Torres had went to the car park on Sankus Boulevard a short distance from his house. While he was in the store, Blakely, 23-year-old Zachase Davis and 28-year-old Darius Wynn tried to rob a store at gunpoint.

According to court records, the employee was pistol-whipped during the robbery. Fajardo-Torres, who had a concealed carry permit, tried to intervene and was fatally shot.

An investigation by Columbus police implicated Blakely, Winn and Davis in a number of other robberies at businesses in Franklin and Delaware counties.

Wynn pleaded guilty to murder, aggravated robbery and conspiracy to commit corruption. He will serve 40 years in prison before being eligible for parole.

Davis pleaded guilty to aggravated murder and attempted murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole for 46 years.

Delaware County court records show Blakely received a lesser sentence than Wynn and Davis because he was not involved in the robbery that left the victim paralyzed.

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