Mobile bar slaying suspect guilty of manslaughter, cleared of murder

Mobile bar slaying suspect guilty of manslaughter, cleared of murder

A Mobile County jury on Thursday convicted a suspect of manslaughter but acquitted him of murder in the fatal shooting of a fellow patron at a popular bar in 2021.

Freddy Escobar Diaz, 41, fatally shot Andrew Sims, 30, following an argument at the Saddle Up Saloon at 9 North Jackson St. on Aug. 14, 2021.

The jury rejected Diaz’s argument that he shot Sims in self-defense, finding Diaz guilty of manslaughter but not guilty of murder, Fox 10 reported.

The verdict was not entered into court records as of Thursday night.

Diaz and Sims were involved in an altercation when Diaz left the bar and returned with a gun and starting shooting, targeting Sims, police said at the time.

A member of the bar’s security staff was injured after they were shot six times during the incident.

Diaz was convicted of assault for the shooting of the staff member while the jury rejected an attempted murder charge.