Man sentenced for manslaughter

A Dormont man will spendsix to 12 years in prison after he was sentenced Wednesday for killing a Fayette Countyman in 2016.

Aaron Lee Fernandes, 29, pleaded guilty in December to voluntary manslaughter for the Oct. 27, 2016, shooting of Michael Mongeluzzo, 27, of Uniontown.

Mr. Mongeluzzo and a passenger had gone to the North Side to meet Fernandes to buy five bricks of heroin, or about 250 stamp bags, for $2,100.

But the deal went bad, and Fernandes shot Mr. Mongeluzzo. His attorney, William Brennan, told Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Kevin G. Sasinoski on Wednesday that Fernandes feared for his life at the time of the shooting in the 300 block of Cedar Avenue in the East Allegheny section of the NorthSide.

Fernandes claimed that Mr. Mongeluzzo had pulled a weapon on him and that he sobbed in fear before he shot Mr.Mongeluzzo.

“My client fired that gun, there’s no doubt about it,” Mr. Brennan said. But, he continued, “He was not the aggressorin this case.”

Fernandes apologized to Mr.Mongeluzzo’s family.

“I know this would never havehappened if I wasn’t selling drugs,” he said.

Mr. Mongeluzzo’s father, JohnSwift, told the court that since his son’s death, he feels like he’s lost his wife, too.

She has been unable to work since the shooting and has been hospitalized for mentalhealth issues, he said.

“Aaron Fernandes ripped myfamily and life apart,” Mr. Swift said.

Mr. Mongeluzzo’s mother, Lana Swift, said her son’s death had caused her to becomea drug addict.

“I can’t function,” she said. “I don’t understand what happened.”