A murder charge brought against a 25-year-old man in a 2022 killing on the south side of Indianapolis has been dropped, according to court documents.

Roberto Melendrez-Moran pleaded guilty, as part of an agreement with prosecutors, to dealing in narcotics and battery by means of a deadly weapon. As part of the deal, the murder charge as well as possession of cocaine and dealing in marijuana charges were dismissed.

Melendrez-Moran was sentenced to jail for time served, 988 days in Marion County Community Corrections’ GPS monitoring and home detention program as well as five years of probation for the two charges he pleaded guilty to, according to the sentencing order.

“The investigation presented several evidentiary issues, such as witness cooperation, that ultimately led to resolution,” said Michael Leffler, a spokesperson with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, via email.

Previous coverage: Man charged in connection with April fatal shooting on Indy’s south side

Melendrez-Moran was arrested in the death of 18-year-old Ngun Peng. On April 25, 2022, officers arrived in the 8800 block of St. Peter Street on a report of a shooting.

They found Peng with gunshot injuries inside an apartment Melendrez-Moran was leasing at the time. Peng was transported to a hospital, where he died, according to the probable cause affidavit for Melendrez-Moran’s arrest.

Investigators found large amounts of drugs and drug paraphrenia inside the apartment, the affidavit reads.

An attorney for Melendrez-Moran did not immediately return a request for comment before publication of this article.

Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.

This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Murder charge dropped in case of 2022 killing on Indy’s south side