Midlands man charged in connection with neighborhood gunfight, SLED says
A Midlands man is facing criminal charges after engaging in a gunfight behind a bad drug deal inside a residential neighborhood, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division.
Angel Antonio Lopez Reyes, 21, was charged last week with discharging firearms into a dwelling, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature on Wednesday, after investigators say he and others exchanged multiple shots when a drug deal went wrong.
On May 2, 2025, Reyes and several other unidentified suspects pulled into a Saluda neighborhood — traveling in a brown van — looking to transact the sale of marijuana, according to an affidavit.
As Reyes and others exited the vehicle armed, they were approached and surrounded by a group of men wielding guns, the affidavit said. A gunfight then broke out between the two groups of men, with Reyes and crew fleeing the area — in a van driven by Celso Romero-Lezama — while firing in the direction of homes and occupied dwellings in the area, according to the affidavit.
Officers recovered 13 spent shell casings in the roadway and identified multiple bullet holes in homes, cars and in an outdoor storage building following the shootout, the affidavit said.
Romero-Lezama, 27, was charged with accessory after the fact and criminal conspiracy last Thursday, according to a news release.
Investigators obtained records from Facebook that included communications between Romero-Lezama and another unidentified man one day after the incident, discussing the replacement of the van’s windows and the need to cover the vehicle with a tarp. Photos were exchanged during the conversation, which appeared to show bullet holes in the van, according to the affidavit.
Meanwhile, evidence against Reyes was corroborated by admissions, witness statements and physical evidence, the affidavit said.
Both Reyes and Romero-Lezama were booked into the Saluda County Detention Center.
