‘Robbed, tricked, killed’: Man who shot old schoolmate in Meridian is sentenced

MERIDIAN (Idaho Statesman) — The man who pulled the trigger when a 19-year-old was fatally shot in a parking lot in Meridian during a targeted robbery in 2025 will spend more than two decades in prison, and could be there even longer.

Three people have now been sentenced for their involvement in a setup that ended in the killing of Tiger Canoy on Jan. 19, 2025.

Daniel Alaniz Pineda, 19 at the time; his brother Jordan Castillo, 17; and 16-year-old Miguel Angel-Martinez hatched a plan to rob Canoy that set the crimes in motion.

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The two younger defendants pleaded guilty to robbery, and Alaniz Pineda pleaded guilty to murder in December. The prosecution said all along that the two younger defendants were part of the scheme, but Alaniz Pineda was the one who shot Canoy.

“I wish I never pulled the trigger,” Alaniz Pineda said in court Friday, before being sentenced to life in prison by Judge Joseph Borton at the Ada County Courthouse.

Borton issued 23.5 years fixed as part of the sentence, meaning Alaniz Pineda will have to serve that much time before he’s eligible for parole.

Alaniz Pineda was originally charged with two counts of robbery, aggravated battery, enhanced use of a deadly weapon, and destruction or concealment of evidence. Those charges were dismissed as part of a plea agreement in the murder case.

“In summary, the conduct at issue appears to be a moment where, Mr. Pineda, you planned, recruited, prepared, led, robbed, tricked, killed, fled, celebrated, concealed and got caught,” Borton said during sentencing.

Angel-Martinez and Castillo were sentenced in December. Angel-Martinez was sentenced to up to 26 years, with 11 years fixed; Castillo received a 28.5-year sentence, with 13.5 years fixed.

Canoy’s mother: ‘I died beside my son that day’

Before the incident, Angel-Martinez contacted Canoy, asking to buy marijuana wax from him, according to the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office. The group of teens made a plan to meet on Jan. 19 in a grocery store parking lot on Cole Road.

Canoy knew Angel-Martinez from high school, Canoy’s mother, Capri, told the court during the sentencing hearing. She said the last words she got from her son were: “OK mom, I’m gonna go meet up with a homie, Angel, from high school. I’ll be back in a few minutes. I love you.”

Before the meeting, Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Alaniz Pineda all procured firearms, prosecutors said.

Canoy and his girlfriend drove to the parking lot. Surveillance footage showed Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Pineda getting out of their vehicle wearing masks and holding guns, according to court documents.

Castillo was seen slashing a tire on the vehicle, and Alaniz Pineda pointed a gun at Canoy, demanding the wax, along with the phones and IDs of Canoy and his girlfriend. The couple turned that stuff over, and the three got in their vehicle and drove down Cole Road, authorities said.

Canoy and his girlfriend followed the car to try to get a view of the license plate, prosecutors stated. Angel-Martinez, Castillo and Pineda stopped at a church parking lot, and Canoy drove past. Alaniz Pineda got out of the car and fired two shots at Canoy’s vehicle.

The prosecution said in court that one bullet struck Canoy in the head and the other struck his girlfriend in the hip and elbow. Canoy died at a local hospital.

Capri Canoy told the court that the second-worst moment in her life was when she received the call that her only son had been shot. She said the worst was having to take him off life support.

“The impact of his loss will continue to haunt our family for the rest of our lives,” Capri Canoy said. “I died beside my son that day. The only difference is that I continue breathing; Tiger does not.”

Canoy’s girlfriend spoke through tears in court and said the shooting forever changed her life and took away “someone she loved.”

“This situation has had profound, lasting emotional damage on my life and the lives of everybody I know,” she said. “There is an endless line of victims on both sides.”

Canoy’s mother said her son was a very trusting and loyal person, and the defendants took advantage of that.

Killer apologizes, prosecutors dispute defense account

Ada County Deputy Prosecutor Michael Guy said Alaniz Pineda had been looking for “drug dealers” to steal from and encouraged the younger two to join.

“Things went south that day because the defendant didn’t want to get caught, he didn’t want to get followed,” Guy said.

Ada County Public Defender Monica Gray said Alaniz Pineda thought he fired the gun in the air “to scare Tiger,” but Guy pointed out that obviously wasn’t the case.

“There is only one reason why you fired two shots,” Guy told the court. “Those bullets struck directly into the driver’s window when you were 10 to 15 feet away. … You were aiming to strike that driver.”

The prosecution requested a prison sentence of life with 25 years fixed before any parole opportunity. Guy said Alaniz Pineda was the person “most responsible” for Canoy’s death.

“Our citizens, your honor, have to know that if you go out and rob even members of the community who are dealing controlled substances, you will have significant ramifications in your life, and if you decide to end one of your victims’ lives … the consequences increase significantly,” Guy said.

Gray argued that although Alaniz Pineda has “taken responsibility for first-degree murder,” there was neither premeditation nor “intent to actually kill.”

Alaniz Pineda addressed the court before receiving his sentence. He made an apology to Canoy’s friends and family, as well as his own, who sat behind him in the courtroom.

“I know I can’t understand the full extent of what I’ve done,” he said. “I have to change so that society can be a safer place. I need to work on my sense of right and wrong; I need to take a real hard look at what influences my life.”

Alaniz Pineda also shared his aspirations for rehabilitation while incarcerated, and to change to “be a better person” through work and education.