Man sentenced to 30 years in deadly shooting of woman caught in crossfire near Federal Hill

Roxanne Spath received a phone call on Oct. 27, 2024, that altered her life forever.

Her daughter, Cameran Holt, had been shot and was not breathing.

Spath spent days and nights with her daughter at the Maryland Shock Trauma Center, where Holt died more than one week later. She was 19.

Baltimore Police arrested three people in her death.

Holt, her mother said, was selfless. She possessed an unstoppable drive, infectious laugh and a smile that could light up a room.

“I am stuck in an endless cycle of grief,” Spath said Thursday in the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse in Baltimore.

Baltimore Circuit Judge Nicole K. Barmore sentenced one of the men arrested in the killing, Alexis Cancel-Soto, to serve life, suspending all but 30 years in prison, for first-degree murder and related crimes. He must also spend five years on supervised probation.

Cancel-Soto, she said, knew Holt and did not intend for her to die.

“It is heart-wrenching for everybody,” Barmore said. “Nobody wants to be here.”

Barmore noted that Cancel-Soto, 21, of Glen Burnie, had a minimal prior criminal record, demonstrated an ability to hold a job and expressed remorse. She said she could not change what happened.

What began as a candlelight vigil spiraled into gunfire, prosecutors reported.

People had gathered to remember a man named “Chop” who held connections to a local affiliate of the Bloods. The shooting took place after James Scott and Devontaye Richardson got into a fight.

Cancel-Soto, Richardson and Daeshaun Clark fired at Scott as he was driving away.

Holt had attended her younger sister’s gender reveal party and afterward continued the celebrations. She had been sitting in her car on West Hamburg Street near Federal Hill when she was caught in the crossfire.

Richardson, 30, of Southwest Baltimore, was found not guilty of all charges except reckless endangerment and sentenced to five years in prison, with 3 1/2 years suspended.

Clark, 29, of Severn, was found guilty of attempted voluntary manslaughter and related crimes. He’s set to be sentenced May 12.

Holt was the second of five children and named after the reality TV star Cameran Eubanks, whom her mother considered strong with good morals.

Two weeks before she was shot, Holt earned her registered behavior technician certification. She wanted to work with children with developmental disabilities.

“There’s a hole in our hearts, and our family,” said Amanda Fields, Holt’s aunt, who added that her niece had “so much left to do in this world.”

Assistant State’s Attorney Justin Greer requested a sentence of life plus 30 years in prison.

“It is horribly unfortunate what happened,” Greer said. “A young, innocent woman lost her life.”

Cancel-Soto’s attorney, Assistant Public Defender Marci Tarrant Johnson, described the case as one of the most heartbreaking of her career.

Johnson said her client was born in Puerto Rico but grew up in Anne Arundel County after experiencing upheaval during his childhood. He left school in the 12th grade after he was jumped and then worked at Flagger Force for two years.

He’s also the father of a 3-year-old daughter, Johnson said.

“I do believe that this young man is redeemable,” said Johnson, who added that Cancel-Soto is “capable of reentering society.”

He declined to make a statement.

Outside the courtroom, Spath embraced two of Cancel-Soto’s family members.

She said she believes they’re not at fault for what happened. Hurt people, she said, hurt people.

Spath said she’s at peace.